At a chapter meeting, the community of Dominican friars elected Brother Stanisław Gurgul, OP, prior of the Priory of St Stephen Protomartyr (St-Étienne) in Jerusalem, for a three-year term. He succeeds Brother Martin Stazsak, OP, who has reached the end of his term.
Born in Krynica (Poland) in 1957, Brother Stanisław studied engineering at the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy in Krakow before joining the Dominicans of the Province of Poland in 1983. He made his profession in the Order on August 18, 1984, and was ordained a priest in 1990 after completing his religious studies at the Dominican studium in Krakow.
His superiors then decided to send him to France to learn French before leaving for West Africa, where he served as a missionary, putting his engineering and religious training to good use from 1994 to 2010. He played a major role in the development of infrastructure in what would become the Province of St Charles Lwanga in Equatorial Africa.
Father Stanislaw Gurgul preaching at a mass at Saint Thérèse Parish in Geneva recently
After fifteen years in Africa, Fr Stanisław left for Ireland, from where he joined the Vicariate of this province in Trinidad and Tobago, where he remained until 2013.
Elected prior of the Wrocław priory, he crossed the Atlantic and returned to Poland, where he continued in his role until 2015.
It was then that the Master of the Order entrusted him with the dual role of administrator of the ÉBAF and syndic of the St-Étienne Priory in Jerusalem, which he held until the autumn of 2023. This is therefore a return to familiar territory for Brother Stanisław after two years of service at the St-Dominique priory in Geneva, devoted to the parish of St-Paul in Cologny and the chaplaincy of the Polish community in Champel.
We thank Brother Martin for his service to our community and are grateful for Brother Stanisław’s willingness to serve. We entrust our brothers to your prayers and thank you for your support.