Monsignor Donald Golasinski

Msgr. Don Golasinski, pastor of Immaculate Conception, Groves, for more than 20 years, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, at age 74, after suffering a major heart attack. He was a son, a brother, a priest, a friend, a family historian, a storyteller, a person who got involved. He enjoyed history, watching the History Channel on television and gathering information about World War I and World War II. He also spent time out in his yard working with his flowers. A native of Houston, he attended St. Thomas High School. After graduation he was a member of the first class of the new St. Mary Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop W.J. Nold on June 2, 1962. He was named a prelate of honor by Pope Benedict XVI September 2009. In a newspaper article in 1988 a young Father Don talked about his answer to God's call to becoming a priest. In it he said he was asked, "Father, how long did it take you to become a priest?" His answer, "When I die, you will know how long it took." Later in the article he said, "Everything that I said, did, or thought from my earliest years was in preparation for ordination. God so willed it. I simply agreed to what I thought was His desire for me when I entered the seminary." After ordination, Father Golasinski first served at Resurrection Parish, Houston, which included the area of the Port of Houston. He also served as assistant at St. Mary, Port Arthur, St. Charles Borromeo, Nederland, and Immaculate Conception, Liberty. His first pastorate was Sacred Heart, Nacogdoches. His next assignment was at St. Joseph, Beaumont. Following this he pastored three parishes with missions St. Mark the Evangelist, Silsbee, with St. Francis of Assisi, Buna; St. Mary, Fannett with St. Martin de Porres, Cheek; and St. Mary in Port Arthur, with St. Paul, Sabine Pass. He was assigned to Immaculate Conception in 1988 as parochial vicar and then assigned as pastor in June 1990. Msgr. Golasinski held several diocesan positions including chaplain for the Port Arthur Serra Club, moderator for the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, priest moderator at Msgr. Kelly Catholic High School and served on the presbyteral council and as an episcopal vicar. He has served as chaplain of the Fire Departments in Beaumont, Port Arthur and Nacogdoches and was a volunteer fire fighter in Liberty. Survivors include a brother Msgr. James L. Golasinski of Houston; a sister Helen Patronella of Houston; and many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and cousins. A wake will be at Immaculate Conception, 4100 Lincoln, Groves, Wednesday, Feb. 9. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. with a Rosary with the Knights of Columbus at 6:30 p.m. followed by a Christian Wake Service at 7. Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, SVD, will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial 10 a.m., Thursday Feb. 10 at Immaculate Conception with burial following at Calvary Cemetery in Port Arthur under the direction of Levingston Funeral Home in Groves.