Sergiusz Gajek
Encyclopedia
Father Sergiusz Gajek is the Apostolic Visitor
for Greek-Catholic
Christians on the territory of Belarus
.
He was born into a Polish Roman Catholic family in Łyszkowice, central Poland
, and graduated from a local school and from a gymnasium.
In August 1967 Gajek, joined the Congregation of Marian Fathers
. Between 1967 and 1974 he studied at the Catholic University of Lublin
. In late 1960s father Sergiusz became engaged in activities of the exiled Belarusian clergy. He had contacts with the Belarusian cultural and religious centre in London, including bishop Ceslaus Sipovich
and Father Ropert Tamushanski. In 1973 he was ordained priest and served for several years as worked at a parish in Głuchołazy.
The following two years Gajek studied at the Theology Faculty of the Catholic University of Lublin. After that he has been sent to Rome
, where in 1978-1983 he studied at the Pontificia Instituto Orientale. In November 1983 Gajek became Doctor and returned to Poland. In 1983-1999 he worked at the Catholic University of Lublin.
and corresponding member of the Pontifical Academy of Mary
. In 1997 he became adviser of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
.
Fr. Sergiusz is author of numerous scientific publications on Christianity in the Slavonic East.
Apostolic visitor
In the Catholic Church, an apostolic visitor is a papal representative with a transient mission to perform a canonical visitation of relatively short duration...
for Greek-Catholic
Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
The Belarusian Greek Catholic Church , sometimes called, in reference to its Byzantine Rite, the Belarusian Byzantine Catholic Church, is the heir within Belarus of the Union of Brest...
Christians on the territory of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
.
He was born into a Polish Roman Catholic family in Łyszkowice, central Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and graduated from a local school and from a gymnasium.
In August 1967 Gajek, joined the Congregation of Marian Fathers
Congregation of Marian Fathers
The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic male clerical religious congregation founded, 1673, in Poland...
. Between 1967 and 1974 he studied at the Catholic University of Lublin
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin is located in Lublin, Poland. Presently it has an enrollment of over 19,000 students...
. In late 1960s father Sergiusz became engaged in activities of the exiled Belarusian clergy. He had contacts with the Belarusian cultural and religious centre in London, including bishop Ceslaus Sipovich
Ceslaus Sipovich
Ceslaus Sipovich was a bishop of the Belarusian Greek Catholic Church.He was born in Homel, son of Heorhi Sipovich, a Belarusian carpenter, and Anna Kilipova, a teacher of Russian origin...
and Father Ropert Tamushanski. In 1973 he was ordained priest and served for several years as worked at a parish in Głuchołazy.
The following two years Gajek studied at the Theology Faculty of the Catholic University of Lublin. After that he has been sent to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where in 1978-1983 he studied at the Pontificia Instituto Orientale. In November 1983 Gajek became Doctor and returned to Poland. In 1983-1999 he worked at the Catholic University of Lublin.
As leader of Greek Catholics in Belarus
In 1994 Pope John Paul II has appointed Fr. Sergiusz Gajek Apostolic Visitor for Greek Catholics in Belarus. In 1996 Gajek became ArchimandriteArchimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
and corresponding member of the Pontifical Academy of Mary
Pontifical Academy of Mary
The Pontifical Academy of Mary or Pontificia Academia Mariana Internationalis is an institution of higher education of the Roman Catholic Church which is focussed on the study of Mariology and Marian dedication...
. In 1997 he became adviser of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
Congregation for the Oriental Churches
The Congregation for the Oriental Churches is the dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for contact with the Eastern Catholic Churches for the sake of assisting their development, protecting their rights and also maintaining whole and entire in the one Catholic Church, alongside the liturgical,...
.
Fr. Sergiusz is author of numerous scientific publications on Christianity in the Slavonic East.