Perth is set to gain another priest with the ordination of Redemptorist Mater Seminary trained Deacon Grzegorz Racpewicz this Friday 12 August at St Mary’s Cathedral.
Hailing originally from Warsaw, Poland, as the third of seven children – all boys – Deacon Grzegorz will celebrate his 33birthday on Sunday 14 August.
Deacon Grzegorz arrived in Perth in March 2011, after initially commencing university studies which he did not finish.
Prior to that, at the age of 20, he went on a two month mission to Belarus in 2009 as a lay itinerant, supporting a priest in a parish.
“I had some free time in between my university studies at the time and I went not having any ideas about the seminary,” Dcn Grzegorz explained.
“It was when I returned that my I began to feel in my heart, God was calling me to something, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was at the time.”
What gripped Dcn Grzegorz, he recalled was a pivotal moment while praying during a Eucharist with his community.
It was the following year in 2010 that he attended a Vocational Meeting in Warsaw with Kiko Arguello, founder of the Neocatechumenal Way.
“This meeting helped me, together with other circumstances which took place prior to going to Belarus, to understand how God was calling me.”
It was there that Dcn Grzegorz “stood up” during the call for vocations, making clear his desire to become a priest.
Dcn Grzegorz explained that he is inspired to be of service to others.
He has spent the past year as a transitional deacon at the parish of Osborne Park, under the guidance of Parish Priest, Fr Wilson Donizetti Martins.
During his period of diaconate, Dcn Grzegorz, who says he is naturally a shy person, highlights he has learnt much, particularly with regards to giving homilies.
“God has really helped me to come out of myself, to be more open to people, to listen to them and their experiences.
“To be able to give meaning to someone’s suffering, to be with people who are sick, it has all been a tremendous experience,” Dcn Grzegorz said.
Dcn Grzegorz also spoke his eye condition, which he says, for some time shook his heart as to whether he would be capable being a priest.
“I thought maybe I shouldn’t go to the seminary because I might struggle, then I realised I can’t escape my suffering. Christ, in His ultimate sacrifice, reminded me to pick up my cross daily.
“Either I accept my suffering or escape,” he explained.
“When others are suffering, I can share (this experience) with them. It took me several years to accept my condition. Despite this, the seminary didn’t say ‘no’ to accepting me.
“I could see that the Church cares, even in this situation – I am happy to be here in this vocation.
From a Catholic family, Dcn Grzegorz recalled to The Record his faith journey which started as a young child, attending Mass with his parents and brothers.
The family, who were residing in Poland’s capital city, relocated to the east-central town of Piaseczno when Grzegorz was a seven-year-old.
“Growing up, my parents would take us every weekend to the Eucharist and every Sunday we would celebrate Morning Prayer together, which had a very significant and moving impression of the domestic Church in action in my life.
“My parents would explain to us the history of salvation, from the story of creation through the Resurrection of Christ, and every evening we would pray together.
“When we were a bit older and we could share our experiences, and this helped me develop a strong, positive relationship with my parents and my brothers; there was always a freedom and I could see through this how much they loved us.
In 2004, at the age of 15, he attended a catechesis of the Neocatechumenal Way, where he says he could see God was guiding and directing him little by little.
“My brothers had also attended a catechesis and I went, not to please anyone, but to discover more what God had planned for me.
About the Redemptoris Mater Seminary
The Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Seminary in Morley was established in August 1994 and was specifically set up to train and form priests of the Neocatechumenal Way.
St John Paul II described the Way, founded in Spain by Kiko Aguello in the 1960s, as an itinerary of faith valid for our society and our times, one of the new charisms of the Second Vatican Council to bring the light of the Gospel to today’s secular society.
Rector Fr Michael Moore SM is assisted by Vice-Rector, Fr Luis Tijerino and Fr Noe Navarrete-Apaez; both of whom also trained at Morley.
This Friday’s Ordination brings the total number of those ordained from the seminary to 43 since 1994.
There are currently 15 seminarians at the seminary.
The seminary survives on Divine Providence which Fr Michael defined as “We live on what God inspires [others] to give us.”
There are 50 Redemptoris Mater Seminaries in the world. Australia has two, one in Perth and one newly established in Sydney. The goal of the seminaries is to provide priests for the New Evangelisation called for in recent years by Pope John Paul II.
The seminary is located at 26 Camboon Road, Morley.
For more information, contact Fr Michael Moore on 08 9275 7411 or visit https://rmsperth.org.au/