Wednesday, March 13, 2002
|
Wednesday, March 13, 2002 |
|
St. Gabriel's to honor Zaworski Tuesday The Catholic Church of St. Gabriel in Fayetteville and the Archdiocese of Atlanta will honor the Rev. Tom Zaworski during a Silver Jubilee and special Mass at St. Gabriel's, Tuesday, March 19, beginning at 7 p.m. The Mass will be celebrated by the Most Rev. John F. Donoghue, Archbishop of Atlanta. "When Deacon Zaworski volunteered to assist in the work of the St. Vincent dePaul Society in 1954, little did he know how much of a servant to God's people he would become," a church spokesperson said. "Permanent deacons were unheard of in the Archdiocese of Atlanta in those days." In 1965, the permanent diaconate was reestablished as an ordained minister in the church, and Zaworski was in the first class to begin studies. Today there are 152 ordained deacons in the Archdiocese serving in various ministries throughout more than 100 parishes and missions in north Georgia. As a pioneer deacon, Zaworski served in many ministries and in many parishes over the years, starting out at St. Anthony's in West End. Later, he served at St. Philip Benizi in Jonesboro, at Our Lady of Lourdes in Atlanta, and as chaplain at Ft. McPherson. He has been assigned to serve at St. Gabriel twice: once, when it was a mission of St. Philip, and currently, where he says he has seen the parish blossom into a vibrant parish of its own, serving more than 650 families. In civilian life, Zaworski worked for Delta Air Lines for 37 years in various capacities, until his retirement in 1992, when he left as a flight dispatcher. He also had a commercial pilot's license and served in the hospital corps of the U.S. Naval Reserves. Zaworski says that police work has always had a special place in his life. While at St. Philip's he was chaplain of the Clayton County Sheriff's Department and later was a chaplain with the Atlanta Police and Fayette County Sheriff's Department. Currently, he is chaplain for the Fayette County Marshal's office. "A chaplain must be a friend as well as an example," Zaworski said. "He should be a partner the officer can depend on when he is confronted by danger or stressful issues." Among his most memorable experiences, Zaworski listed witnessing the marriage of his son, Chris, baptizing his grandchildren, preaching to the soldiers and their families in Germany and at Ft. Mac, the spirited liturgies and music at Our Lady of Lourdes parish, and the police ministry experiences. Zaworski is married to the former Helen Vessell, a native of Fayette County. They have three children and five grandchildren. The public is invited to attend the ceremony. The church is at 152 Antioch Rd. just south of the intersection with Ga., Hwy. 92 South. |
