I am Fr. Aleksander Mierzwinski, the Associate Pastor of St. Gabriel’s. I was born in 1939 in Mierzwin, Poland, as the second of seven children of my parents Stanislawa and Kazimierz.
My childhood was humble but happy in the loving circle of my family. Already as a youngster I was attracted to the Church and I served as altar boy in St. Stanislaws Church in Topczewo.
After graduation from high school in 1958, I entered the seminary in Drohiczyn. Following my ordination, I served in different parishes of the Drohiczyn diocese for next 5 years.
In 1986 I was invited to come to Canada to serve the Polish community in the London Diocese. My first parish in Canada was Our Lady of Czestochowa in London, Ontario. In 1992 I came to St. Gabriel’s in Burlington.
In recognition of my work in Polish church communities in Canada and representation of the Drohiczyn Seminary, His Excellence Bishop Dydycz granted me in 1999 the title of Canon of the Drohiczyn Cathedral. The ceremony took place in St. Gabriel’s church in August 1999 and was presided over by Bishop Anthony Dydycz.
A few words about the Polish community in St. Gabriel’s Parish in Burlington.
The community started in 1962, when it helped to build the parish and the church. The driving force behind the church construction was Polish resurrectionist priest Fr. Josef Capiga. At present, the Polish community has about 300 families, who are served in Polish language.
