St. Cyprian’s Father Kusy marks 40 years of priesthood during Mass, reception

Although his ordination anniversary isn’t until December, Father George Kusy celebrated the milestone with parishioners and friends during Mass and a reception at St. Cyprian Church in Perry.

Bishop Edward Malesic was the principal celebrant at the Aug. 23 liturgy. Concelebrants were Father Kusy and two priest friends, Father Slawomir Nowosod, a professor at John Paul II Catholic University in Poland, and Father Peter Galek, a priest in Chicago who is from his 700-plus-year-old home parish in Poland.

In his homily, the bishop shared some of his faith journey, noting he “wasn’t too thrilled about being Catholic when I was a youth. It took some time to get here, but I’m Catholic now,” he quipped. He said the gift of a Bible during his freshman year of college was the beginning of a new chapter in his life. For the first time, he read the Scriptures “and suddenly, I realized that Jesus was really speaking to me … The Mass began to make more sense to me … Jesus came back from the dead for me … The God who created the world wasn’t too busy to care about a guy from Pennsylvania … That Bible changed my life.”

He said in the Gospel, Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” and Peter replied, “the son of the living God.” He said that same person – Jesus – has been with us all along, at our baptism, first Communion, confirmation and after. “We are all beloved sons and daughters of God and he takes great delight in each of us,” he said, adding that we should follow Jesus and become the people he wants us to be. For himself and Father Kusy, that meant the priesthood. “And he’s been here ever since as a shepherd for Christ’s flock … He calls you by name, tells us how to do it and tells us not to be afraid, he will always be with us,” the bishop added.

Bishop Malesic noted there were several connections to Pope St. John Paul II, the first Polish pope. All three concelebrating priests were graduates of the university named after him – where he used to teach – and he was wearing a St. John Paul II pectoral cross he received as a gift.

Father Kusy expressed his gratitude to the bishop for celebrating with him and the parish and to the late Bishop Anthony Pilla, who allowed him to minister in the diocese. He and Father Jozef Bozek, pastor of St. Barbara Parish in Cleveland and administrator of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Cleveland, are the only two Polish-born priests ministering in the diocese. Their parishes have many parishioners of Polish heritage.

After Mass, Father Kusy was gifted with a portrait painted by a parishioner before the congregation moved into the parish hall for a reception featuring music and Polish food.