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Wacław Tomasz Depo (born 27 September 1953) is a
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
bishop, being the archbishop of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Częstochowa The Archdiocese of Częstochowa () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Częstochowa in Poland. History * October 28, 1925: Established as Diocese of Częstochowa. Its serves as a suffragan diocese to the ...
since 2012. He was previously the bishop of the Diocese of Zamość-Lubaczów from 2006 to 2012.


Biography


Early life

He was born on 27 September 1953 in
Szydłowiec Szydłowiec (; ; ) is a town in Szydłowiec County, Mazovian Voivodeship, south-central Poland, with 5,243 inhabitants (31 December 2005). It is the seat of Gmina Szydłowiec (commune). Szydłowiec is part of the historic region of Lesser Polan ...
. In 1972 he graduated from high school, and then studied at the major seminary in
Sandomierz Sandomierz (pronounced: ; , ) is a historic town in south-eastern Poland with 23,863 inhabitants (), situated on the Vistula River near its confluence with the San, in the Sandomierz Basin. It has been part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy ...
. He was ordained a priest on June 3, 1978, in the
Sandomierz Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sandomierz () is a Gothic architecture, gothic cathedral constructed in 1360. The cathedral was renovated in the baroque style in the 18th century, and first received the rank of cat ...
by bishop Piotr Gołębiowski, then the apostolic administrator of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sandomierz The Diocese of Sandomierz () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Sandomierz in the ecclesiastical province of Lublin in Poland. History The Diocese of Sandomierz was created on 30 June 1818 by Pope Pius VII in a ...
. He received a master's degree in dogmatic theology in 1980 at the
Catholic University of Lublin John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (, , abbreviation KUL) is a university established in 1918. History Father Idzi Benedykt Radziszewski founded the university in 1918. Lenin allowed the priest to take the library and equipment of ...
. From 1980 to 1984 Depo continued his studies, and in 1982 he obtained a bachelor's degree, and in 1984 a doctorate based on the dissertation of kerygmatic Christ in the teaching of
Martin Kähler Martin Kähler (6 January 1835 – 7 September 1912) was a German theologian. He is best known for his short work, published in 1892, ''Der sogenannte historische Jesus und der geschichtliche, biblische Christus'' (The so-called historical Jesus a ...
, written under the guidance of Fr. Czesław Bartnik.


Academic and Priestly ministry

After being ordained a priest, from 1978 to 1980 Depo worked as the pastoral vicar in the parish of St. John the Baptist in
Stromiec Stromiec is a village in Białobrzegi County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Stromiec. It lies approximately east of Białobrzegi and south of Warsaw Warsaw, ...
. From 1984 to 1990 he was an academic priest at the College of Engineering in
Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship. Radom is the fifteenth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in its province w ...
. In March 1992 Depo was officially transferred and incardinated as a priest for the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Radom The Diocese of Radom () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Radom in the ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Częstochowa, Częstochowa in Poland. History * March 25, 1992: Established as D ...
. In the diocese of Radom he was the director of the consecrated life of women's religious orders, he was also a member of the priesthood council and the college of consultants. He was appointed honorary canon of the Sandomierz cathedral chapter and prelate curator of the chapter of Our Lady of Ostra Brama in
Skarżysko-Kamienna Skarżysko-Kamienna () is a city in northern Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship in south-central Poland by Kamienna (river), Kamienna river, to the north of Świętokrzyskie Mountains; one of the voivodship's major cities. Prior to 1928, it bore the name ...
. In 2004,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
gave Depo the honorary prelate of "His Holiness". In 1984–1989 he was the spiritual director for transitional deacons in the diocese of Radom. In 1989 he became the vice director, and in 1990 the rector, of the Radom seminary. From 1984 he lectured on dogmatic theology, ecumenical theology and introduction to theology at the Major Seminary and Theological Institute in Radom, and from 1992 on dogmatic theology at the Theological College of the Diocese of Radom. In the years 2000–2006 he worked as an adjunct in the Department of Christian Personality of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, and in 2007 he became a lecturer in the Department of Christian Personality of the
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (, , abbreviation KUL) is a university established in 1918. History :pl:Idzi Radziszewski, Father Idzi Benedykt Radziszewski founded the university in 1918. Vladimir Lenin, Lenin allowed the priest ...
.


Ordination as bishop

On 5 August 2006, after
Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
accepted the resignation of Jan Śrutwa, Depo was appointed as the new diocesan bishop of the diocese of Zamość-Lubaczów. Ingres to the Cathedral of the Resurrection and Saint.
Thomas the Apostle Thomas the Apostle (; , meaning 'the Twin'), also known as Didymus ( 'twin'), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Thomas is commonly known as "doubting Thomas" because he initially doubted the resurrection of ...
in Zamość, during which he received episcopal ordination, he held on September 9, 2006 The main
consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches ...
was Józef Michalik, the metropolitan archbishop of
Przemyśl Przemyśl () is a city in southeastern Poland with 56,466 inhabitants, as of December 2023. Data for territorial unit 1862000. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Subcarpathian Voivodeship. It was previously the capital of Prz ...
, and the co-consecrators were
Zygmunt Zimowski Zygmunt Zimowski (7 April 1949 – 13 July 2016) was a Polish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Archbishop Zimowski had served until his death in July 2016 as President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers, ...
, diocesan bishop of
Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship. Radom is the fifteenth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in its province w ...
, and Jan Śrutwa, the former bishop of Zamość-Lubaczów. Depo chose the phrase "Ad Christum Redemptorem hominis" (Towards Christ the Redeemer of man) as his bishop's motto. On 29 December 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Depo as the new Archbishop of Częstochowa to replace
Stanisław Nowak Stanisław Nowak (11 July 1935 – 12 December 2021) was a Polish Roman Catholic prelate. He was archbishop of Częstochowa Częstochowa ( , ) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest ...
. Depo was officially installed as archbishop of Częstochowa on 2 February 2012 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family.


Life as Bishop

In 2017 Depo became the official state chaplain of the
Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic Church, Catholic Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney, Blessed Michael J. McGivney. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. ...
in Poland. During the
COVID-19 pandemic in Poland The COVID-19 pandemic in Poland was a part of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 strain of coronavirus. , Poland had a cumulative total of 6,775,116 confirmed cases (17,849 per 100,000 population), and 120,976 deaths (31 ...
, Depo claimed that war and
gender ideology The anti-gender movement is a global phenomenon that opposes concepts often referred to as "gender ideology" or "gender theory". These loosely-defined terms are commonly used by the movement to critique a range of issues related to gender equ ...
posed bigger threats to the Polish people than the coronavirus.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Depo, Waclaw 1953 births Living people People from Szydłowiec John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin alumni Academic staff of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Poland