Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin (USA), OFFICE OF VOCATIONS

Road to orders paved with good influences for Deacon Sakowski

By Joseph O’Brien

Staff Writer

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Deacon Derek Sakowski knows what God wants him to do. That’s why he’s becoming a priest, one of four men from the Diocese of La Crosse to be ordained this coming June 28 at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral, La Crosse.

Deacon Sakowski was born in Baltimore, but moved to Wisconsin Rapids where he was baptized at St. Lawrence Church and has been a parishioner ever since.

Never one to shy away from intellectually or spiritually rigorous challenges, Deacon Sakowski looks to his time at Assumption High School as crucial to his discernment.

"The teachers there–especially my religion teacher, Cheryl Bowe–presented the Catholic faith in a challenging and very appealing way," he explained. "That forced me to live my faith much more zealously than I had been, and a vocation discernment followed immediately from that."

His experience at Assumption also sparked his love for the life of the mind – one that he pursued fruitfully after graduation in 1994.

"I’m extremely grateful to Paul Klinkhammer at Assumption High School," Deacon Sakowski said. "He’s really the first one to challenge me, in religion class and in two years of English literature. He gave a lot of us a desire to learn, and prepared us for higher studies."

After graduation, Deacon Sakowski spent two years at St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. before attending the Basselin program at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1998 and received a licentiate in philosophy in 1999. From there, he attended the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, where he received a master’s degree in dogmatic theology in 2002 and a master’s of divinity this year.

Another influence on his discernment from his days at Assumption was Deacon Sakowski’s future vocations director, Father Joseph Hirsch. Before becoming Director of the Vocations office of the Diocese, Father Hirsch was chaplain at Assumption, where he challenged Derek – and his classmates – to deepen their faith and to seek to understand God’s will for them.

During an overnight trip to Father Hirsch’s parents’ farm on St. Joseph Ridge, Derek had an opportunity to see a priest "up close for a prolonged period of time."

Another priest to touch Deacon Sakowski’s life was his uncle, Father Chester Osowski, a senior priest in the Diocese.

"He is one of the most joyful priests I know," Deacon Sakowski pointed out. "It was important to have him as an example of the priesthood for me."

As an expression of his gratitude, Deacon Sakowski chose Father Osowski to help vest him during the ordination rite.

No influence was more important, though, according to Deacon Sakowski, than his mother Carol and step-father Randy Olson.

"My family always made a point of bringing us to church every Sunday throughout my life," he explained, "and we always prayed and ate meals together; I only realized much later that wasn’t an experience common to people my age."

As a priest, Deacon Sakowski hopes to make God’s everlasting mercy a mainstay of his ministry.

"His mercy is not really appreciated today," he noted. "People tend to try to rationalize and explain away their sins instead of admitting them and accepting God’s mercy."

As for a practical way to promote this mercy, Deacon Sakowski wants also to emphasize the practice of regular confession to the faithful.

"Confession is one of the sacraments that is sorely neglected," he added. "It is one of God’s greatest gifts to us – and any way I can promote the sacrament, I will."

Published in the Catholic Times, June 24, 2003

2002-2004. Office of Vocations, Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin (USA). Questions and Comments? Contact The Administrator.