Father Marek is in pole position to spread God’s word

From the small village of Nowy Rachów in Poland to the slightly bigger town of Dannhauser in Northern KZN, Father Marek Mlynarczyk has come a long way spreading God’s word.

Nowy Rachów is situated in the South East of Poland and has a population of approximately 250 people. Growing up in a small village, where everyone knows everyone else, kept young Marek grounded but at the same sheltered from much of the outside world.

Always wanting to join the army once he was done with school, things changed when he went for a retreat and received his calling from God. At the age of 20 he joined the seminary, which was also the first time he’d left home.

He studied, was ordained, served at two parishes in Poland and then embarked on a journey to spread the word of God with people outside the country. In 2009, Father Marek applied to do missionary work overseas and was first sent to London.

Leaving his beloved Poland was a bit of a culture shock, as he had to learn how to speak English and adapt to new surroundings, new people and new ways of drinking tea (the Polish prefer black tea as opposed to the milky tea popular in Britain).

The parish in which he was stationed had numerous former Polish residents, which made his transition easier, however, there were also many people from different backgrounds and cultures. A melting pot in many ways, it exposed Father Marek to a whole new world and help prepare him for the next leg of his journey.
In 2010 his missionary work led him to Africa.

He did not know much about the continent or know where he would be stationed at first, but he was excited about the adventure ahead. Leaving the decision up to his Diocesan Bishop, it was decided that he would move to South Africa. Father Marek’s first base in South Africa was Ermelo where he stayed with other Polish priests who were already based in the country.

After two months he moved on to Mtubatuba near St Lucia where he took Zulu lessons. Learning a new language and all about the culture was exciting and his friends and family back in Poland are still fascinated that he is able to pronounce the ‘clicks’ found in African languages. Father Marek then served in Piet Retief, Pongola and finally Dannhauser, a town surprisingly bigger than where he was born.

While the weather in Ermelo wasn’t too far off from his native land, once he moved to Mtubatuba and other areas in KZN, he really began to feel the stifling heat of Africa.

Now nine years on, Father Marek has settled well into the South African lifestyle, conducting church services in Zulu and English. When he’s not conducting masses, praying, or helping the youth of the area, he enjoys watching football, most notably Liverpool FC and Barcelona. He also uses his free time to keep in touch with friends and fellow priests around the world.

Father Marek also tries to make a yearly trip back home, visiting family and friends and revisiting and reminiscing at familiar landmarks.

He also had wise words for youngsters who were considering joining the priesthood. “Prayer is the most important thing. Prayer helps for discovering your vocation and for staying in it.”

Well travelled and well versed, Father Marek is using his God given talents to spread God’s message around the world.