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Transitional Deacon Zwolak, 26, competed in cross country and track at Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood. His ordination will be held on June 6 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James. (Photos: Bill Miller)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tTransitional Deacon Zwolak, 26, competed in cross country and track at Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood. His ordination will be held on June 6 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James. (Photos: Bill Miller)<\/p>\n
MIDDLE VILLAGE \u2014 Transitional Deacon Paul Zwolak has more than one thing in common with the apostle who wrote 13 letters in the New Testament.<\/p>\n
In addition to sharing a first name, both have also described what it\u2019s like to strive toward a destiny, like running a race<\/a>.<\/p>\n In his second letter to Timothy, St. Paul indicated his ministry and, indeed, his life were about to end. He had no regrets.<\/p>\n \u201cThe time of my departure is at hand.\u201d Paul wrote to his prot\u00e9g\u00e9, Timothy. \u201cI have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith\u201d (2 Timothy 4:6-7).<\/p>\n Deacon Zwolak, 27, competed in cross country and track at Archbishop Molloy High School<\/a> in Briarwood. He still runs, about eight to 10 miles each time he laces up his trainers.<\/p>\n The two Pauls, however, differ in that while St. Paul began his ministry centuries ago, Deacon Zwolak is just starting his. His ordination into the priesthood is set for 11 a.m. on June 6 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James<\/a> in Downtown Brooklyn.<\/p>\n Running has \u201creally taught me a lot about my own prayer life\u201d because communicating with God is not like a sprint, he said. Especially not while the creator of the universe is directing someone\u2019s future, like a priestly vocation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s more like a marathon,\u201d Deacon Zwolak added. \u201cIf you ever ran a long race, you know sometimes you\u2019ll get tired. But you know the finish line is somewhere ahead, so you have to keep pushing.\u201d<\/p>\n Deacon Zwolak\u2019s journey toward ordination began as a thought in the back of his mind while completing elementary school at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy in Middle Village.<\/p>\n The school is attached to the parish of the same name, where his family has belonged his entire life. His parents, Jacek and Krystyna Zwolak, immigrated from Gda\u0144sk, Poland, to Middle Village in the 1990s.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were the first people that really introduced me to the Catholic faith. They brought me to church,\u201d Deacon Zwolak said. \u201cAnd growing up, they were the ones who taught me the Our Father, and the Hail Mary.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Catholic faith for them is really an important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED: Deacon Paulo Salazar Logs Many Miles in Journey to Priesthood in the Diocese of Brooklyn<\/a><\/p>\n Deacon Zwolak is the second of three children; his older brother, Matthew, is 28, and they have a sister, Lucyna, who is 18.<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up in Catholic school, you always heard about the importance of vocations,\u201d he said. \u201cI always felt like, \u2018Yeah, the priesthood, it sounds interesting, but let me just think about it, pray about it.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cSo, it was always in the back of my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Deacon Zwolak entered Archbishop Molloy High School, which is run by the Marist<\/a> Brothers. During his senior year, the faculty invited him to a retreat at the Marist Brothers Center at Esopus, in upstate New York. There, he met Brother Alfred George, who made a great impression.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a really peaceful and joy-filled person,\u201d Deacon Zwolak said of Brother Alfred, who passed away in 2023. \u201cHe said, \u2018I get my joy from my vocation,\u2019 and I took that very seriously,\u2019 \u201d the transitional deacon continued. \u201cI thought, \u2018I want to be as happy as this brother is.\u2019<\/p>\n And \u2018I want to serve God, just like this brother is doing.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n He enrolled at St. John\u2019s University<\/a> in 2017 to study biology. A year later, however, he switched his major to philosophy and entered the undergraduate seminary at Douglaston.<\/p>\n While there, he endured the COVID-19 pandemic, although he said the lockdown enhanced his prayer life.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just a time when everything really slowed down,\u201d he recalled. \u201cSo, I had a lot more time to pray and to just really understand more of my vocation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really taught me that God works through the silence.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1-Meet-the-Priest-Profile-281x375.jpg\")
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