Meet Binghamton's newest Catholic priest, serving two city churches
The new pastor of two Binghamton Roman Catholic churches hopes to boost weekend Mass attendance, reach out to more to children and young families and continue to serve the needy.
On July 1st, Rev. Artur Krawczenko became the new pastor of the linked parishes of St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Paul’s church, meaning the two churches have separate buildings but share the same pastor.He replaces Rev. Jon Werner, who retired.
A priest for 20 years, he is no stranger to the Southern Tier. His first assignment in 2003 was at the former St. John the Evangelist Church on Binghamton’s South Side, which merged with the former St. Andrew’s Church in 2008 to form Saints John and Andrew Church. Since then, he has served at numerous parishes throughout the Syracuse Diocese. His most recent assignment was as pastor of Sacred Heart/St. Mary’s Church in New York Mills, near Utica.
“Every parish I served, I met so many welcoming people,” he said.
While he’s still unpacking and getting to know his new flock, he’s impressed with his new parishes so far, said Krawczenko, who goes by Father Art or Father Arthur.
“There’s a lot of positive energy here,” he said. “People are very nice and very welcoming. Everybody comes to me after the Mass and says, ‘We’re so happy to have you. Welcome to Binghamton.”’
This is Krawczenko’s first time leading city churches, he said. His previous parishes were located in smaller towns or rural areas.
“This is a different dynamic here,” he said. "There’s a lot of needy people here. Our mission at St. Mary’s and St. Pauls is to serve those in need in the community.”
Both parishes are already involved in several charitable efforts including a soup kitchen. Those efforts will continue because helping those in need is a cornerstone of the Catholic faith, he said.
“This is how we increase our relationship with Jesus: By helping others,” he said. “This is what he wants us to do.”
A native of Poland who became a U.S. citizen in 2016, Krawczenko is always willing to help immigrants. While he’s only been on the job a couple of weeks, he’s already gotten phone calls on behalf of Ukrainian immigrants who have an apartment but need furniture and kitchen supplies.
Krawczenko had to learn a new language and adjust to the customs and culture of a new country.
“I was really lucky,” he said. “Many people were wonderful to me and showed me the way.”
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Other goals of the new pastor include increasing weekend Mass attendance, which averages about 300 people at each of the two parishes, he said.
“I want to make sure that everybody feels welcome here,” he said.
Krawczenko also wants to extend a warm welcome to younger families with children, he said.
“We have got to do more for the young people,” he said.
For now, his main goal is to meet and talk with as many parishioners in both churches as possible.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the people and their life stories,” he said. “The parishes are my new family.”
More about St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Paul’s
Both parishes are linked, meaning they have separate buildings but share the same pastor, Rev. Artur Krawczenko. Weekend Masses are held at St. Mary’s at 7:30 a.m. and noon on Sundays. St. Paul’s holds Masses at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. on Sundays. St. Mary’s is located at 37 Fayette St. in downtown Binghamton while St. Paul’s is located at 15 Doubleday St. on Binghamton’s North Side. For more information, go to www.marypaul.org
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Paul’s welcomes new priest
