In Memoriam: Fr. Stanislaw Zak

Father Stanislaw Zak, who was born in Poland and joined the Diocese of Oakland in 1997, died Jan. 8, 2022. He was 72.

Father Zak retired in 2015 and lived at Bishop Begin Villa, where he celebrated Mass on the morning he died.

He was ordained a priest on May 14, 1975, at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in Poznan, Poland.

“Since my early childhood, I wanted to be a priest,” he wrote in a reflection on the occasion of the 40^th anniversary of his priestly ordination. “Pastoral ministry was always my biggest joy in my life.

“God rewarded my priesthood when 15 of my students in Poland entered the seminary and 12 of them became priests. Every day I am praying for new vocations to the priesthood and religious life.” 

After serving as parochial vicar in his native country for 3½ years, Father Zak went to England, where he worked for a dozen years in London, Putney, Manchester, Ashton-under-Lyne and Southampton.

In 1988, he received permission from the Congregation of the Oriental Churches to celebrate liturgies in the Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Rite.

Father Zak arrived in the United States on Dec. 12, 1990. After working briefly in Los Angeles, he was appointed pastor of St. Brother Albert Chmielowski Polish Pastoral Mission in the Diocese of San Jose. He served there until April 1996.

He attended the Vatican II Institute for Clergy Formation in Menlo Park.

On May 1, 1997, Father Zak came to the Diocese of Oakland. After working and residing for two months at St. Perpetua Parish in Lafayette, he was appointed parochial vicar of Queen of All Saints Parish in Concord.

In addition to his parish duties, Father Zak served the Catholic Polish Pastoral Center in Martinez and also assisted Ukrainian Catholics in Sacramento.

Father Zak served as parochial vicar at St. Isidore Parish in Danville from 1999 until his final assignment in 2004. 

On December 1, 2004, he was appointed pastor at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Oakland, where he served until his retirement in 2015.

St. Margaret Mary Parish will host the Vigil service for Father Zak at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22. Viewing will be from 6 to 9 p.m. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 23. The church is at 1219 Excelsior Ave., Oakland.