Parish Priest

The Parish Priest is Fr George Kolodziej sds. He came to Pittwater Parish is October of 2008. He came from Poland to Australia in 1994 where he quickly learned English.  He spent six years in Perth at Carolyn Chisolm College as Chaplain. From there, he moved East to become Chaplain to St Leos College Wahroonga. He was also Assistant Priest (at weekends)  in the Pymble Parish for two years. Whilst remaining as full time Chaplain at Leos, he was then transferred to St Patricks Church, East Gosford where he was Assistant Priest for six years.  Whilst in Gosford, Fr George was also involved in the rehabilitation of people with addictions.

Fr George is a registered Clinical Psychotherapist. He has two Masters degrees with specialties of Theology, Psychotherapy and Pastoral Care. His key interest is Church Ministry- helping people to find God in their lives and to discover that He loves them. In his spare moments- which are few- he likes travel. he speaks a number of languages (five or six at last count).

Assistant Priest

The Assistant Priest is Fr. Sebastian Szewczyk SDS. He arrived in Pittwater  Parish in February 2010.
He was born: 10/11/1971 in Świdnica in Poland.

Education:
Child Care: 1976 (just one day!)
Primary School: (Wołów) 1978 - 1986
High School: (Agriculture college, Wołów) 1986 - 1991

Until He fell in love with God when he was 18 years old, He was very
naughty as a "heavy-metal-rock-young-man". (Sometimes stil naughty)

In May 1989 he was arrested by the Police because of anti-communism activity.
He entered the Society of the Divine Saviour (SDS)- 07/09/1991 in Bagno,
Poland:

First Profession: 08/09/1992 in Bagno, Poland
Salvatorian Major Seminary in Bagno: 1992 - 1999
During the Seminary He joined to the seminary's music band for 5 years.

Perpetual Profession: 08/09/1998 Bagno, Poland
Master's degree of Theology: May 2000 in Wrocław

Ordination: 26/05/2000 in Mikołów, Poland
Arrived in Australia: 29/12/2004

Appointments:
2000 - 2002 - Assistant Priest in Węgorzewo Parish, in Poland
2002 - 2003 - Assistant Priest in Oborniki Śląskie Parish, in Poland
2003 - 2004 - Pastoral assistant in Trzebinia Monastery in Poland
September - December 2004 - learning Italian in Rome.
December 2004 - arrived in Australia
January 2005 - April 2009 - Assistant Priest in Balcatta Parish, Perth WA
April 2009 - January 2010 - Acting Parish Priest in Balcatta Parish,
Perth, WA


His hobbies include sport (crazy about soccer), music (especially any kind of
Heavy Metal Rock), movies (especially comedies)

He's a  fan of Sherlock Holmes.

He loves:

• people,
• to laugh,
• to joke (beware! - Polish sense of humour!),
  to watch  soccer games,
• his guitar.

He hates:

• Communism,
• Perth's way of driving (slower than the rules of the road allow),
• egoism.

Bishop Bernard O'Grady

Bishop Bernard O'Grady,  a member of the Dominican Order (Order of Preachers, OP) arrived in Pittwater Parish in January 2008 as the "Priest in residence", living in the Avalon Presbytery.

Background

Bishop Bernard was born in Adelaide and educated there by the Dominican Sisters and the Christian Brothers. In 1950 he entered the Dominican Order and studie

d in Melbourne and Wahroonga, Sydney before being ordained in Adelaide on December 1^st 1956. Following one year of further study in Wahroonga he was appointed in 1958 to the newly opened Dominican Mission in the then Western Solomons.

He worked in various parishes and was also Catholic Education Director for the Gizo Diocese which had been formally established in 1964. During this time many new schools were opened and he was awarded an MBE for educational service as well as development work within the Western Solomons.

In 1981 he was elected at Prior (Superior) of the Dominican Novitiate and Retreat House at Blackfriars in Canberra where he spent six years engaged in givng Retreats and Spiritual Direction.

Following another two years back in the Solomons, in 1989 he was appointed to the Dominican College part of the Holy Spirit National Seminary in Bomana Papua New Guinea. There he was engaged in priestly and religious formation and lecturing at the Seminary.

Director of Sacramental programmes

The Director of Sacramental programmes is Suzy Caruso

Simon Hyland Director, Youth and Music

Simon is a professional actor and musician with a career in theatre, film and television. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Music and more than 15 years industry experience. In 2005/06 Simon spent a year in London where he performed on the West End playing ‘The Thief’ in Easter Tales.

His professional experience includes Miss Saigon, Hot Shoe Shuffle, Show Boat, The Boy from Oz and Hair the musical. He was in the film South Pacific with Harry Connick Junior and for the past 3 years has been the host of Nick Junior on Foxtel Digital.

Whilst in England, Simon began a Diploma in Youth Ministry and Evangelisation. It was a correspondence course through Maryvale Institute and Cambridge University and Simon graduated with a distinction in November 2006. This degree adds to Simon’s 10 years of music ministry in the church. He is a composer of music and has written and recorded various Christian albums including his own setting for the parts of the mass.

Parish Secretary

The Parish Secretary is Mrs Julie Tyler.