Great News!

Excommunicated St. Stanislaus member reconciles with Archbishop Burke, Church

Edward Florek, excommunicated in December 2005 for being part of the St. Stanislaus Kostka Corporation board of directors that fought Archbishop Raymond L. Burke over parish restructuring, privately met with the archbishop this week and was reconciled with the Church.

Florek, 63, a St. Stanislaus parishioner for 33 years since coming from Poland, said he broke ranks with the St. Stanislaus board in March. He told the Review he had concluded that Father Marek Bozek, whom the board hired as its pastor after the archbishop recalled the parish’s priests in 2004, was leading the parish away from Roman Catholicism.

He said he stopped attending St. Stanislaus Church in March when Father Bozek "refused to enter discussions with the archbishop."

"Most important for me, I didn’t see the solution (being) under Father Bozek’s guidance," Florek said. "I would like us to be part of the Roman Catholic Church."

The reconciliation occurred June 2 at the Catholic Center in the Central West End. Florek said he initiated the meeting with Archbishop Burke through a phone call to Msgr. Vernon Gardin, a vicar general for the archdiocese.

Florek is the only one of eight excommunicated St. Stanislaus board members to seek a reconciliation with the archbishop. The board represents St. Stanislaus Kostka Corporation, which the archdiocese considers a civil organization and no longer a parish....

May God be praised for blessing Mr Florek with courage and wisdom!