Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Roger Gries will celebrate the funeral Mass for Father John J. Bryk at 11 a.m. Aug. 20 at St. Basil the Great Church, 8700 Brecksville Road, Brecksville. Father Ted Marszal will be the homilist.
The wake begins with vespers at 3 p.m. Aug. 19 in St. Basil Church. Bishop Martin Amos, retired bishop of Davenport, Iowa will be the presider. The wake will continue until 6 p.m.
Father Bryk, a senior priest-retired, died on Aug. 16 at age 92.
He was born on May 14, 1928 to the late John Albert and Lillian Anna (Duda) Bryk. Father Bryk was educated at St. Hyacinth School and Benedictine High School in Cleveland; St. Mary Seminary, Orchard Lake, Michigan and Saint Mary Seminary, Cleveland.
He was ordained to the priesthood for service to the Diocese of Cleveland by Archbishop Edward F. Hoban on Dec. 19, 1953 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Father Bryk’s first assignment was as parochial vicar of St. Stanislaus Parish in Lorain. On June 13, 1957, he was assigned as parochial vicar at St. Casimir (Sowinski) in Cleveland. He was transferred to serve as parochial vicar of St. John Cantius Parish in Cleveland on June 14, 1962. On Feb. 21, 1967, he was transferred to serve as parochial vicar of St. Hedwig Parish in Akron. Father Bryk was transferred on Sept. 9, 1970 to serve as parochial vicar of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Cleveland.
He was named pastor of St. Casimir (Sowinski) Parish on April 27, 1971. Then on July 5, 1973, he was named pastor of St. Hedwig Parish in Lakewood. During this assignment, 1982-1986, he also served as national chaplain of the Union of Poles of America.
Father Bryk retired on Oct. 2, 2007.
He was very proud of his Polish heritage and served the Polish American Catholic community through his priestly life. Those who knew him said he was always attentive to the needs of those entrusted to his care and was particularly attentive to the sick and dying. They said he was well-loved by his parishioners.
Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brook Park.