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A Native of Whitesboro and a Native of Poland to be Ordained Priests
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May 31, 2024Syracuse, New York-- Most Rev. Douglas J. Lucia, Bishop of Syracuse, will ordain Benjamin Schrantz of Whitesboro and Pawel Zmija of Poland into the priesthood at a Mass on Saturday, June 1, 10am at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Downtown Syracuse. The Mass of Ordination is open to the public and will be livestreamed on Catholic TV, https://www.youtube.com/syrdio.
Schrantz, 31, attended Westmoreland Road and St. Peter’s elementary schools, Notre Dame Junior-Senior High School and Mohawk Valley Community College before transferring to SUNY Fredonia. Following his undergraduate work and upon deciding to pursue the priesthood, he attended Theological College at The National Seminary of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He is the son of Karl and Diane Schrantz; and siblings Sarah and Rebecca Schrantz and Emmanuella Agyeman Duah.
Zmija, 33 is a native of Katowice, Poland. He entered the seminary first in Poland and came to the United States to study at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake and completed his theological studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He is the son of Stanislaw Zmija (deceased) and Ewa Zmija and his sister, Magdalena Zmija.
As is custom, the newly ordained will learn of their first pastoral assignment during the Ordination Mass.
The newly ordained will celebrate their first Masses on June 2: Pawel Zmija at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at 10am and Ben Schrantz at 2pm at St. Paul’s Church in Whitesboro. Media is welcome to cover the Ordination Mass or the first Masses on Sunday.