REV. John Stec, Pastor

Father John Stec, parochial vicar of St. Mary of Czestochowa Parish, Bound Brook, was born in Jablonka Orawska, Poland, to the late Jan and Maria Swietek Stec.

He attended schools in his hometown before attending Krakow Archdiocesan Seminary, 1968-74. Ordained May 19, 1974 in Krakow by cardinal Karol Wojtyla, now St. John Paul II, Father Stec served in various parishes in Poland before emigrating to the United States in 1984.

He first served the Archdiocese of Nawark as an extern priest at Most Sacred Heart Parish, Wallington, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Bayonne. Father Stec joined the Diocese of Metuchen in 1986 as parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish, Manville. He served as parochial vicar in St. Stephen Parish, Pert Amboy; St. Mary of Czestochowa Parish, Boound Brook; and St. Magdalen de Pazzi Parish, Flemington.

Father Stec was incardinated into the diocese Jan. 10, 1994 and appointed to his first pastorate in St. Stephen, Parish, Perth Amboy May 17, 1994. He was transfered in 2006 to St. Mary of Ostrabrama Parish, South River, and St. Stephen Protomartyr, South River, where he served as parochial vicar until being transfered to Holy Family Parish now Divine Mercy Parish in 2007. In 2013 Father Stec was assigned to St.Mary of Czestochowa Parish.

Bogdan Osewski and Choir „Gaudium et Spes”

Bogdan Osewski started playing the organ at St. Mary of Czestochowa in 1996, and at the same time the choir „Gaudium et Spes” started.

Original members: Bohdan Osewski – Organ; Andrzej Cisla – Piano and guitar
Krzysztof Lis, Jennifer Wleklik, Aneta Krol, Joanna Jedryszek, Dorota Surtel- Vocals

In the following years, the choir began to sing every Friday during a special worship before year 2000. The choir also provided music for all the major Catholic holidays like Christmas, Easter, Stations of the Cross, 40-ty Hour Devotions, Our Lady of Czestochowa feast and the anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul II.

The choir also provided services for the Polish Supplementary School for Jaselka and the ceremonies for the beginning and the end of the school year. In the year 2005, after the passing of John Paul II the choir prepared a special program dedicated to the Holy Father. The “Gaudium et Spes” choir also performed nightly services at the Polish Festival at National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Doylestown, PA.

In 2008, the choir recorded their first album, “Jak Ci Dziekowac” and a year later recorded a Christmas album entitled “Swiat na Ciebie czeka Panie”. The following preformed on the 2 albums; Marzena Blaszkiewicz, Teresa Has, Dorota Surtel, Elzbieta Laskowska, Irena Ospelt, Elzbiea Ozog Osewski, Bogdan Krol, Krzystof Lis, and Bogdan Osewski.