- St. Catherine of Siena
In loving memory of Fr. Nick Pesanka
(August 30, 1949 - January 21, 2011)
Over the entrance doors of Resurrection Church in Brookline, etched in stone, are the magnificent words, “As I climb to the altar of God, I regain the joys of my youth” (Psalm 43:4).
This past Friday, while visiting with my mother at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Mr. Stanley (“Stush”) Zubik, the father of our bishop, David Zubik, asked me, “Did you hear the news that Fr. Nicholas Pesanka died at 6:00 AM today? He was a classmate of my son's and they were ordained together by Bishop Leonard, on May 3, 1975.” Immediately my thoughts turned to this "bigger than life‟ figure of my childhood days. When I was 13 years old, growing up at SS Simon and Jude in Scott Twp., there was a young, attractive, athletic, muscular and compassionate priest just down the street at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Greentree. Soon I began to attend the 5:00 PM Sunday evening Masses there, and each time I saw him, I said to myself, “I want to be like Fr. Nick.” His "down-to-earth‟ style, his "manly‟ demeanor, his contagious joy and his deep compassion for everyone were qualities that set him apart. The Book of Ecclesiastes says, “Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Do what you want to and follow your heart’s desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you do” (11:9).
Once I became a colleague of his in the fraternity of the priesthood, I marveled that Nick was always "young at heart." He had the innocence of a kid, the strength of a man and the wisdom of a follower of Jesus. His heart's desire was simply to bring Jesus to people and people to Jesus, whether through serving as a youth leader, teaching children in school, playing basketball on a court, playing baseball on a diamond, playing football on a gridiron, or ministering as pastor in a parish. Nick had a competitive spirit in his rigorous weight-lifting workouts, in his commitment to teens through sports and in the Catholic values that were instilled in him. Nick was so fiercely competitive that I believe he'd even knock his own mother down while playing badminton or volleyball! He received his strong faith from his late parents, Irene and Nicholas Pesanka, members of Resurrection Parish in Brookline. During my time serving as chaplain at Mercy Hospital, I recall his mother and father dying a week apart, both on a Friday. So too, Fr. Nick died on a Friday. At their funerals, he spoke on the Beatitudes, especially emphasizing parenthood as a most persecuted vocation.
For my first assignment in May 1988, I was sent to Our Lady of Fatima in Hopewell Twp. I recall a parishioner telling me, “Just remember, you’re not here to replace Fr. Nick; instead you are here to take his space.” The first day I entered his old living quarters. I looked at the walls, and the color of the room was pink; the bathroom was gold. As a newly-ordained priest I was looking for perfection. I asked him, “Do you like the colors of pink and gold?” He simply remarked, “I‟ve not looked at the walls in 7 years.” There were baseball gear (bats, gloves, spikes and balls), posters, trophies, books and countless cards strewn across the floor. I will never forget that on the first day at the parish, he took me to the thirty Communion calls in the parish so that these elderly "home-bound parishioners‟ would see there was a transfer of priests. He wanted them to welcome me. I will never forget that great act of kindness. Day two, a funeral came in and Fr. Nick called to say, “Don't worry about that one, I will cover it for you. I know how it is just getting started, and finding your way in ministry.” (I breathed a bit easier!) I followed in his footsteps by serving as the youth group leader and teaching in the Catholic school. He taught me the intangible importance of witnessing and teaching future generations. I felt his "fingerprints‟ all over that faith community in which I was privileged to succeed his great efforts.
When Fr. Nick went on to serve at St. Wendelin Parish in Carrick, I was glad he was sent closer to home, as he was closely knitted to his siblings, June, Ken, Ron and Mark. His mom's home cooking and motherly correcting continued to color his life. His parents were so proud he had become a priest. His mom painted a beautiful portrait of him -- a keepsake for the family. She served as a cantor and lector at Resurrection Parish (the place of his funeral), and I remember his mom telling him that her neighbors all wanted him to preach for them. In my early years of priesthood, I would often call and share questions and notes with him. He had a degree in Counseling and had keen insights into interpersonal relationships. He held unconditional positive regard for everyone and judged no one. Once while speaking, he told me that young kids had been breaking beer bottles off of the tomb stones at St. Wendelin Cemetery in Carrick. He went out to see them in the middle of the night with his imposing figure and shouted, “The next time you break a bottle over a tombstone, it will be your head!” No one was going to negotiate with him as they fled in fear!
While I was serving at St. Thomas More Parish in Bethel Park from 1992-1996, I occasionally assisted Fr. Nick in taking a Mass at the adjacent parish of St. Germaine. He called me his "runner priest‟ in order to get a break to take a run in South Park, and also to give his people a change of pace. I always enjoyed the spirit of worship and music at that church. The priests will miss his "golf antics‟ -- his sportsmanship, humor, presence and spirit -— at our yearly July golf outing.
It was a very sad day when Fr. Nick, in his early 50's, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Many of us asked, “How could this happen to such a person in the prime and peak of his life, that such a horrifying illness could have stricken him?” It didn't seem fair and it was difficult for us to accept. However, Fr. Nick taught us a profound lesson that we too must willingly accept the challenges, struggles, difficulties, setbacks, disappointments and adversities that life brings. Through our human experience: our loves, work, joys, sorrows, temptations, living and dying, Christ is with us. Even in this "darkness," Fr. Nick let Christ‟s "light‟ shine so beautifully. I am grateful God sent into my path such a committed priest as Fr. Nick. He was focused on his vocation and he allowed the flavors of his interests to enhance his ministry. Perhaps the greatest moment and discovery of our lives is found in our personal vocation from God. For fidelity to our vocation is fidelity to God — the mission and ministry entrusted to us for which we were created is our specific and personal way of giving glory, honor and praise to God through doing His will on earth. And in His will, our peace is found. There was no greater passion in Nick's life than celebrating the sacraments of the Church for God‟s people. Next to his sports page was always his Divine Office, and he would say as he kissed his Breviary, “The Church is a beautiful bride to be married to, and I’m grateful for God’s call and love.”
A priest is called by God and by the Church to serve others, to lead, to witness, to teach, to model, to love, to sacrifice, to suffer and to die for others. 1 Peter 5:4 states, “Be examples to the flock, not lording it over those assigned to you, so that when the Chief Shepherd appears you will win for yourselves the unfading crown of glory.” Fr. Nick was very special -- a real gift, a champion. As we celebrate the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25), we are reminded of the great discipline, witness and conversion it takes to keep our eyes always fixed on Jesus, the Eternal High Priest. May we be comforted and consoled at our loss. May we be comforted and consoled by the words of St. Paul, patron of our Diocese of Pittsburgh and our seminary, “I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
This past Friday, while visiting with my mother at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Mr. Stanley (“Stush”) Zubik, the father of our bishop, David Zubik, asked me, “Did you hear the news that Fr. Nicholas Pesanka died at 6:00 AM today? He was a classmate of my son's and they were ordained together by Bishop Leonard, on May 3, 1975.” Immediately my thoughts turned to this "bigger than life‟ figure of my childhood days. When I was 13 years old, growing up at SS Simon and Jude in Scott Twp., there was a young, attractive, athletic, muscular and compassionate priest just down the street at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Greentree. Soon I began to attend the 5:00 PM Sunday evening Masses there, and each time I saw him, I said to myself, “I want to be like Fr. Nick.” His "down-to-earth‟ style, his "manly‟ demeanor, his contagious joy and his deep compassion for everyone were qualities that set him apart. The Book of Ecclesiastes says, “Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Do what you want to and follow your heart’s desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you do” (11:9).
Once I became a colleague of his in the fraternity of the priesthood, I marveled that Nick was always "young at heart." He had the innocence of a kid, the strength of a man and the wisdom of a follower of Jesus. His heart's desire was simply to bring Jesus to people and people to Jesus, whether through serving as a youth leader, teaching children in school, playing basketball on a court, playing baseball on a diamond, playing football on a gridiron, or ministering as pastor in a parish. Nick had a competitive spirit in his rigorous weight-lifting workouts, in his commitment to teens through sports and in the Catholic values that were instilled in him. Nick was so fiercely competitive that I believe he'd even knock his own mother down while playing badminton or volleyball! He received his strong faith from his late parents, Irene and Nicholas Pesanka, members of Resurrection Parish in Brookline. During my time serving as chaplain at Mercy Hospital, I recall his mother and father dying a week apart, both on a Friday. So too, Fr. Nick died on a Friday. At their funerals, he spoke on the Beatitudes, especially emphasizing parenthood as a most persecuted vocation.
For my first assignment in May 1988, I was sent to Our Lady of Fatima in Hopewell Twp. I recall a parishioner telling me, “Just remember, you’re not here to replace Fr. Nick; instead you are here to take his space.” The first day I entered his old living quarters. I looked at the walls, and the color of the room was pink; the bathroom was gold. As a newly-ordained priest I was looking for perfection. I asked him, “Do you like the colors of pink and gold?” He simply remarked, “I‟ve not looked at the walls in 7 years.” There were baseball gear (bats, gloves, spikes and balls), posters, trophies, books and countless cards strewn across the floor. I will never forget that on the first day at the parish, he took me to the thirty Communion calls in the parish so that these elderly "home-bound parishioners‟ would see there was a transfer of priests. He wanted them to welcome me. I will never forget that great act of kindness. Day two, a funeral came in and Fr. Nick called to say, “Don't worry about that one, I will cover it for you. I know how it is just getting started, and finding your way in ministry.” (I breathed a bit easier!) I followed in his footsteps by serving as the youth group leader and teaching in the Catholic school. He taught me the intangible importance of witnessing and teaching future generations. I felt his "fingerprints‟ all over that faith community in which I was privileged to succeed his great efforts.
When Fr. Nick went on to serve at St. Wendelin Parish in Carrick, I was glad he was sent closer to home, as he was closely knitted to his siblings, June, Ken, Ron and Mark. His mom's home cooking and motherly correcting continued to color his life. His parents were so proud he had become a priest. His mom painted a beautiful portrait of him -- a keepsake for the family. She served as a cantor and lector at Resurrection Parish (the place of his funeral), and I remember his mom telling him that her neighbors all wanted him to preach for them. In my early years of priesthood, I would often call and share questions and notes with him. He had a degree in Counseling and had keen insights into interpersonal relationships. He held unconditional positive regard for everyone and judged no one. Once while speaking, he told me that young kids had been breaking beer bottles off of the tomb stones at St. Wendelin Cemetery in Carrick. He went out to see them in the middle of the night with his imposing figure and shouted, “The next time you break a bottle over a tombstone, it will be your head!” No one was going to negotiate with him as they fled in fear!
While I was serving at St. Thomas More Parish in Bethel Park from 1992-1996, I occasionally assisted Fr. Nick in taking a Mass at the adjacent parish of St. Germaine. He called me his "runner priest‟ in order to get a break to take a run in South Park, and also to give his people a change of pace. I always enjoyed the spirit of worship and music at that church. The priests will miss his "golf antics‟ -- his sportsmanship, humor, presence and spirit -— at our yearly July golf outing.
It was a very sad day when Fr. Nick, in his early 50's, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Many of us asked, “How could this happen to such a person in the prime and peak of his life, that such a horrifying illness could have stricken him?” It didn't seem fair and it was difficult for us to accept. However, Fr. Nick taught us a profound lesson that we too must willingly accept the challenges, struggles, difficulties, setbacks, disappointments and adversities that life brings. Through our human experience: our loves, work, joys, sorrows, temptations, living and dying, Christ is with us. Even in this "darkness," Fr. Nick let Christ‟s "light‟ shine so beautifully. I am grateful God sent into my path such a committed priest as Fr. Nick. He was focused on his vocation and he allowed the flavors of his interests to enhance his ministry. Perhaps the greatest moment and discovery of our lives is found in our personal vocation from God. For fidelity to our vocation is fidelity to God — the mission and ministry entrusted to us for which we were created is our specific and personal way of giving glory, honor and praise to God through doing His will on earth. And in His will, our peace is found. There was no greater passion in Nick's life than celebrating the sacraments of the Church for God‟s people. Next to his sports page was always his Divine Office, and he would say as he kissed his Breviary, “The Church is a beautiful bride to be married to, and I’m grateful for God’s call and love.”
A priest is called by God and by the Church to serve others, to lead, to witness, to teach, to model, to love, to sacrifice, to suffer and to die for others. 1 Peter 5:4 states, “Be examples to the flock, not lording it over those assigned to you, so that when the Chief Shepherd appears you will win for yourselves the unfading crown of glory.” Fr. Nick was very special -- a real gift, a champion. As we celebrate the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25), we are reminded of the great discipline, witness and conversion it takes to keep our eyes always fixed on Jesus, the Eternal High Priest. May we be comforted and consoled at our loss. May we be comforted and consoled by the words of St. Paul, patron of our Diocese of Pittsburgh and our seminary, “I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
