St. Charles pastor joins Oblate national leadership team

St. Charles pastor joins Oblate national leadership team

- WCR photo by Ramon Gonzalez Fr. John Malazdrewich has been an Oblate priest for 17 years.

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

Oblate Father John Malazdrewich, pastor of St. Charles Parish for the past eight years, has been appointed to the national leadership team of the Lacombe Canada Province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

He moved to Ottawa April 2 to fill the position of vicar provincial of the Oblates, whose 300 members are involved in ministry from Labrador to Vancouver Island as well as Kenya.

Oblate Father Frank Kuczera from Smithers, B.C., will replace Malazdrewich at St. Charles.

Malazdrewich, 49, is one of two vicar provincials in the Lacombe Canada Province's leadership team. He will work hand in hand with provincial Father Andr‚ Boyer, formerly of Edmonton. There are also two lay advisors on the leadership team.

Malazdrewich is not new to leadership in his order. He was superior of the Oblates of Alberta and the Territories for the past four years. Father Edmond Paradis of St. Albert will replace him in that position.

The Lacombe Canada Province was created in 2003 out of five Oblate provinces with diverse ministries and diverse cultures. "The challenge is to create a large (Oblate) province across the country," explained Malazdrewich. "It's a matter of growing into a new province together and creating a new culture."

Pastor to administrator

Malazdrewich is up to the task, which will involve a lot of travelling across Canada. "I'm looking forward to the challenge," the priest said at his St. Charles Parish office April 1.

"It's a highly administrative (position) so it's going to be a change for me because I have been in parishes (in the role of pastor) for most of my priesthood."

Born and raised in Biggar, Sask., Malazdrewich said Edmonton has become home for him in many ways. He spent nine years in Edmonton after he joined the Oblates in 1983 as a brother. He did his novitiate in Edmonton and spent two years working as a fulltime chaplain at the Edmonton General Hospital.

Then he felt called to the priesthood and in 1989 he went to Newman Theological College to complete his theology. The late Bishop James Mahoney of Saskatoon ordained him a priest in 1991 in Biggar.

Six weeks after his ordination he became pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Regina. Four years later he was appointed director of the Queen's House of Retreat in Saskatoon, remaining in that position for two years. He then moved to Winnipeg and spent two years as pastor of St. Joseph's Parish. He returned to Edmonton in 1999 as pastor of St. Charles.

"I'm kind of mixed," he smiled. "Edmonton has really become home for me in a lot of ways and it's difficult to leave. But since my new position will involve a fair amount of travelling I will be in and out of Edmonton a fair amount."

Rapidly growing parish

Malazdrewich is sure to miss St. Charles Parish, which has grown from 1,500 families when he arrived to 2,630 now.

"I love St. Charles; it's been a wonderful community," he said. "It's a very young and vibrant community. The people are very engaged in leadership so it's been great to be with them."

People at St. Charles are also happy to have had Malazdrewich as a pastor. "He is a great guy - very innovative and very efficient," said parish receptionist Hilda Daubner. "He is very people oriented. He's taken us a long, long way in this parish."

Pastoral associate Renee Nicolas, 27, described Malazdrewich as "a great leader" who works well with all kinds of people.

He trusts people in their positions and never second guesses them, Nicolas said. "He is very supportive, very open. "I'm excited to meet the new priest. But for sure I'm going to miss Father John. He is a big part of this parish."

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