Pastor of St. Stephen & St. Bartholomew Parish
As I look at the last two years here at St. Stephen parish as the pastor the time has flown by very quickly.
My roots start in Chippewa Falls were I grew up and attended the Catholic schools in the area graduating from McDonell High School. Then on to receive my BA in Economics from the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire. From there I went on to teach in South Korea before going into the seminary.
After receiving my Bachelors of Sacred Theology and Masters of Divinity from Mundelein Seminary I was ordained for the Diocese of La Crosse in 1999.
From July of 1999 until October of 2003 I was parochial vicar of Blessed Sacrament Parish and Chaplain of Aquinas Middle School.
On October 28th of 2003 I arrived here at St. Stephen parish; I have not had much time to look back since.
As of June 2005 I have been the Dean of the Stevens Point Deanery. It is a very interesting and challenging assignment.
When I do get some time, I spend it with my family. My parents are doing well in their new home now that they are retired. My sister and her husband and my nieces live in Eau Claire so I am able to catch them fairly often, but they too lead very busy lives. One brother lives in Missouri with his wife and my nephew. I am lucky to see them once or twice a year. Which leaves my youngest brother who runs his own business as a logger so he is hard to track down when I am home.
The last two years have gone by quickly and the parish families at St. Stephen (and St. Bartholomew) have been very good to me and made it home, a true family, where we all can grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Thanks for reading and pray for us all at St. Stephen and St. Bartholomew.
Very Rev. John Potaczek October 28th, 2005
Pastor and Dean