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Bishop Braxton Welcomes Three New Priests to the Diocese

We are happy to welcome Father Fidelis Osang Idagbo CM, Father Mariusz Semla, and Father Slawomir Ptak to the Diocese of Belleville. These three priests have generously come to us to serve as missionaries. Their selflessness and their genuine appreciation of the catholicity of the Church will make it easier for us to provide pastoral service to the faithful or our Diocese. It will also make it possible for us to avoid asking more priests to attempt to serve two, three, or four parishes.

Father Osang Idagbo CM

Father Osang Idagbo CM, a Vincentian priest of the Province of Enugu, Nigeria, was born on Oct. 23, 1974. The son of the late Justice Ochikry Idagbo and Mrs. Bernadette Idagbo, Father Idagbo has four brothers. He became a Vincentian postulant in 1995. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at St. Joseph Major Seminary in Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria in 2001. In 2005 he completed his theological studies at Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu, Nigeria obtaining a bachelor’s degree in theology.
He was incorporated into the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) on the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul in 2004. Archbishop Renzo Fratini, Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, ordained him to the priesthood at St. Joseph Major Seminary, Ikot Ekpene on July 8, 2005.

After ordination, Father Idagbo was appointed to serve as the Provincial Secretary of the Congregation of the Mission, Vice-Province of Nigeria, a position he held for the last three years. The first time he met Bishop Braxton was when the Bishop ordained Vincentian priests at the invitation of the Provincial, Father Michael Ngoka CM. While serving as the secretary of the Vincentian Province, Father Igdabo also served as the treasurer of the Provincial House. In addition to this he has been chaplain to the Catholic students at Girls Grammar School Awkunanaw, Enugu, chaplain at St. Louise de Marillac Hostel for female college students in Enugu, and associate pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Enugu. His provincial has noted the extraordinary energy and dedication that he brought to these ministries.

He is very close to his family, especially his mother, and he is aware of the sacrifices he is embracing by offering to serve as a missionary so far from home. Happily, he is joining a fellow Vincentian here in Belleville. Father Urban Osuji CM, administrator, St. Mary Parish, Valmeyer and chaplain at Gibault Catholic High School. He has been here since December 2007. The bishop has been working to bring a second Vincentian to the diocese in order to provide Vincentian community life.

Father Idagbo’s recreational activities include tennis, swimming, badminton, reading and listening to classical music. He is also interested in information technology, and he enjoys working with electronic, mechanical and electrical devices. Father Idagbo has been living at the bishop’s residence for the past month during a period of orientation. The bishop will determine his assignment in the weeks to come.

Father Mariusz Semla

Father Mariusz Semla, a priest of the Diocese of Tarnów, Poland believes the words of Pope John Paul II telling young priests that the world needs them have inspired his desire to be missionary. He was born Oct. 9, 1978 in Krynica Zdroj, a health resort famous for art, music festivals and winter sports. His parents are Mr. Joseph and Mrs. (Danuta) Semla. His mother works in a hair salon. His father, a driver, has a passion for music. He has been the organist at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the family parish for 28 years. One of three children, he has an older brother and a younger sister.

He grew up close to the Church with a deep devotion to Our Lady. After high school, he followed his vocation to the priesthood, entering the Higher Theological Seminary in the Diocese of Tarnów, earning a master’s degree in theology. The Most Rev. Wiktor Skworc, Bishop of Tarnów, ordained him to the priesthood in the Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 25, 2003.

After his ordination he served in pastoral ministry at Mother of God Scapular Parish in Korzenna and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Wadowice Dolne. In both parishes he was active in all aspects of parish ministry. He taught religion in the primary school as well as in the junior high school. He always enjoyed the celebration of the sacraments, preaching the Gospel and giving retreats for young people. Coming to serve the Church in the United States is a major change in his life. However, he said he is very willing to make the effort to learn English and to learn about the Church in southern Illinois in order to serve a community that has a great need for additional priests. He traces his call to be a missionary to the teachings of Christ Himself and to the example of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II, who evangelized the whole world. Father Semla enjoys the study of moral theology, classical music and opera. His favorite sports include swimming, skiing and soccer.

Father Slawomir Ptak

Father Slawomir Ptak is also a priest of the Diocese of Tarnów, Poland. He was ordained with his classmate, Fr. Semla, by Bishop Skworc, in the Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 25, 2003. Father Ptak was born on Nov. 14, 1977 in Tarnów, Maopolskie. He is the son of Mr. Stanisaw and Mrs. (Mieczysawa) Ptak.
Father Ptak observed that in spite of the secular influences in Poland, there is still a strong Catholic culture. The people have a love for the Mass and a great devotion to Our Lady of Czestochowa and St. Mary Faustina Kowalska. This is the world in which he explored a vocation to the priesthood. Like Father Semla, he earned a M.A. in theology from the Higher Theological Seminary in Tarnów. As a parish priest he served at Sacred Heart Parish in Górki as a vicar and a catechist in the local primary school teaching religion to children. Later, he served at St. Michael Archangel Parish in Ropa as a vicar and catechist. Father Ptak has been happy in his priesthood and he was particularly dedicated to preparing the faithful for the sacraments.

In January 2007 Bishop Skworc wrote a letter to the priests of Tarnów expressing gratitude to God for the many vocations to the priesthood in their diocese. He encouraged some of the younger priests to consider offering themselves to the service of the universal Church as missionaries. Father Ptak, Father Semla and other classmates decided to accept this call to serve in dioceses with parishes that have no priests to serve them. Father Ptak enjoys walking in the forest, classical music, singing, reading novels and going to movies.

Bishop Braxton has been working for three years to obtain seminarians and priests from Poland with the help of Father Mirosaw Król, the dean the faculty of SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Mich., which specializes in bringing Polish seminarians to this country.

Initially, Father Ptak and Father Semla will live at the Hincke-Sense Residence during a period of intense studies of English. This immersion into English may take as long as a year. Once their knowledge of English is sufficient they will be introduced to parish ministry. After a program of orientation, they will be assigned to parishes and begin a period of familiarization with the life of the Church in the United States. Bishop Skworc has assured Bishop Braxton that, if all goes well, both priests will be allowed to serve in Belleville for an extended period of time.

Bishop Braxton, commenting on the new priests, said, “The arrival of three young, Spirit-filled priests is a great blessing to our diocese. I am deeply grateful to these three men and to their superiors. I urge everyone in the diocese to make every effort to welcome them with joy. Please continue to pray the Diocesan Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood. Please work for vocations in your family and in your parish.”