Bishop Martin Amos, retired bishop of Davenport, Iowa, will celebrate the funeral Mass for Father Robert Lorkowski at 10 a.m. July 13 at St. Ambrose Church, 929 Pearl Road, Brunswick. Father Jeremy Merzweiler, administrator of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Akron and former St. Ambrose parochial vicar, will be the homilist.
The wake for Father Lorkowski will begin with vespers at 3 p.m. July 12 at St. Ambrose Church. With Bishop Amos as the presider and Father Robert Stec, St. Ambrose pastor, as the homilist. The wake will continue until 7 p.m.
Father Lorkowski, 69, died on July 8 after a short illness.
He was born on March 6, 1951 to the late Albert and Olga Lorkowski. Father Lorkowski was educated at St. Wenceslas School, Maple Heights; Borromeo High School, Wickliffe; Borromeo Seminary, Wickliffe; and Saint Mary Seminary, Cleveland. Bishop James Hickey ordained him to the priesthood on June 11, 1977 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland.
Father Lorkowski’s first assignment was as parochial vicar of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Chagrin Falls. On June 30, 1983, he was appointed as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Macedonia. He was assigned as parochial vicar of St. Therese Parish in Garfield Heights on June 14, 1989, where he served until he was assigned on June 22, 1993 to serve as parochial vicar of St. Rita Parish in Solon. He was assigned as parochial vicar of St. Barnabas Parish in Northfield on June 16, 1998 and on June 10, 2003, he was assigned parochial vicar of St. Bernadette Parish in Westlake. On June 5, 2007 he was assigned parochial vicar of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Medina. Father Lorkowski was appointed parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Parma on June 7, 2011. On June 9, 2015, he was transferred to St. John Neumann Parish in Strongsville to serve as parochial vicar. He was assigned as parochial vicar of St. Ambrose Parish on June 11, 2019, where he served until his death.
Those who knew him said Father Lorkowski was a kind-hearted and gentle man who was well-loved by all he served.
Interment will be at All Saints Cemetery in Northfield.