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Fr. James Kurzynski

About Fr. James Kurzynski

Fr. James Kurzynski is a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin and a hobby astronomer. Originally from the small town of Amherst in rural central Wisconsin, Fr. James completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, majoring in Applied Music (Saxophone, Voice, and Composition). After graduating from UW-SP, Fr. James worked at the University of Nebraska at Kearney as a Hall Director and pursued a M.S.ed. in Group Counseling. After a year at UNK, Fr. James left his position to attend the University of Saint Mary of the Lake - Mundelein Seminary to discern his priestly vocation.

Fr. James earned a Bachelor in Sacred Theology, a Master of Divinity, and a License in Sacred Theology. While pursuing these degrees, Fr. James also studied Spiritual Theology with the Institute of Priestly Formation at Creighton University and completed the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Fr. James was ordained a priest June 28, 2003. Fr. James’ first assignment was as an Associate at the Tri-Parishes of St. Mary’s - Durand, Holy Rosary Parish - Lima, and Sacred Heart Parish - Mondovi. After two years, Fr. James was assigned as Chaplain and Instructor of Religion at Regis Middle and High School and was also assigned Associate Vocation Director. In his final year at Regis, Fr. James was also appointed Parochial Administrator of Saint Raymond of Penafort Catholic Church, serving south east Eau Claire County. From 2012-2015, Fr. James served as Pastor of Roncalli Newman Parish, serving the college students of Western Technical College and the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. In 2015, Fr. James was named Pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Menomonie, Wisconsin, which also serves St. Joseph's Grade School (3K thru 6) and the Newman Center at the University of Wisconsin - Stout. In 2017, in addition to his responsibilities to St. Joseph Parish and StoutCatholic, Fr. James was also named Pastor of St. Luke Parish in Boyceville, Wisconsin. In July of 2018, Fr. James was named the Pastor of St. Olaf Parish in Eau Claire. Wisconsin. Fr. James also teaches Introduction to Philosophy for the Diocese of La Crosse’s diaconal formation program.

In regard to his interest in astronomy, Fr. James is a member of both the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society and the La Crosse Area Astronomical Society. He taught an Introduction to Astronomy course during his time at Regis High School in Eau Claire. Fr. James' first involvement with the Vatican Observatory came when an inquiry led to the development of the first "Faith and Astronomy Workshop" (FAW), designed for parish educators and clergy that are not professional scientists.

What Does It Mean To Create?

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About a month ago, a good friend of mine who directs a local community theater called me in a panic. She explained that she was directing a stage rendition of C.S. Lewis’ classic, The Magician’s Nephew, and had one, big problem: She couldn’t find someone to play Aslan. Now, for those of you who are not familiar with C.S. Lewis and The Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician’s Nephew parallel’s the creation story from the book of Genesis. Aslan, a lion, is the allegorical figure for Jesus. Therefore, a creation narrative without Jesus would be downright scandalous in C.S. Lewis’ classic! Since I have background in theatre and opera, my friend Judine asked if I would play Aslan for two reasons: 1. I could pull it off in a short period of time, and, 2. I’ve been spending my whole life learning the “backstory” of the character!  After prayer and discussing it with my staff, I accepted the role… and began to … Continue reading →

Playing Chess With The Homeless

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Last weekend, the Gospel we reflected upon was Luke’s version of the Beatitudes. What makes Luke’s presentation of those who are blessed unique is his emphasis on the immediacy of those who are blessed in contrast to the Gospel of Matthew. Let’s take a look at a side by side comparison of the beatitudes from both Gospels. One way to approach these differing texts is to explore the subjective and objective nature of each. With Matthew’s beatitudes, they ring more subjectively, using broader language that can be applied in many ways, making it easier to reflect on questions like, “How am I called to be poor in spirit?” Luke, on the other hand, is radically objective, using language that begs an immediate recognition those who are blessed by God this very moment. Whether it be the stark use of “Blessed are you who are poor” or the insertion of the word “now” when we hear “blessed you who are now … Continue reading →

Global Vs. Local Perspective. The Difficulties In Helping People Understand Climate Change.

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This is one of those posts I almost dread to write. The reason I say almost is because I have come to peace with my understanding of global climate change. The reason I feel a hint of dread is because of how the people I know who live in Wisconsin will react to this post. These past three weeks, we have experience wind chills that have dropped to -51 degrees Fahrenheit, multiple snow storms that shut down local schools for days at a time, and so much cloud cover that those with seasonal affect disorder are going a little nutty. Am I simply complaining about the weather as many in the Midwest United States enjoy doing? Perhaps. However, my primary reason for reflecting on this is because NASA, the United Kingdom Met Office, and the World Meteorological Organization have found that 2018 was the fourth warmest year on record.  After reading the reports, I have no problem embracing these findings. … Continue reading →

Lost in Cyberspace! Or at Least on the Arizona 101 Loop.

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As I mentioned last week, God blessed me with a wonderfully restful vacation after the Faith and Astronomy Workshop. Restful, that is, until my cellphone died and lost all ability to use the navigation software. When it first happened, I thought, “I’ve been driving these roads in Phoenix, Arizona for four days now – I’ll be fine without Siri.” Four hours later, I thanked God for helping me find the house I was staying at, exhausted from the mental stress of asking, “What is this place, how did I get here, and how do I get home?!” In my defense, even parishioners who spend a great deal of time snow birding (a term used to identify primarily retired people from Wisconsin who spend the bulk of winter in Arizona) complemented me on my courage to try to navigate the city of Phoenix with no GPS. Nevertheless, there is something of the rural kid in me that felt like I failed … Continue reading →

It’s Ultimately About Relationship – A Brief Reflection On FAW2019

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First of all, my apologies for my brief absence from The Catholic Astronomer. I was at the Faith and Astronomy Workshop in Tucson and then was blessed with a week of vacation in Arizona the week after. Though it was a bit of a shock to fly out of Phoenix at 73 degrees and arrive at Minneapolis/St. Paul at -3 degrees, it’s good to be home! FAW2019 was a wonderful success! Now that we have had four workshops, I feel as though we’re “finding our groove.” The main takeaway I had this year was the theme of faith and science not as dueling ideologies, but people developing relationships (both healthy and dysfunctional). It is through these relationships that the true bridge between faith and science emerges through people exploring the wonders of our universe and our common home – both natural and supernatural. We discussed how the strongest bridge between faith and science is not a series of apologetic arguments, but … Continue reading →

The Feast of Rabbit Holes: What is a star gazing priest to do with his Epiphany Homily?

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Fr. James, did the star of Bethlehem really exist? This is one of the most common questions I get as a priest who also loves to gaze into the heavens. There was a time I would try to explain the multiple theories of what the star might have been. Christopher Graney posted a wonderful reflection on some of these ideas just a couple of days ago. Br. Guy has also put together a wonderful video on The Star Bethlehem. I am so happy that these two brilliant minds, along with others I have read and seen, have put together these reflections to share with you. One of the reasons I’m so happy is because I feel less inclined to delve homiletically into questions of star conjunctions, supernovae, and noonday phenomena at this point of my priesthood. Instead, I find it more fruitful to ask a different kind of question: What did the Magi seek? Stated another way, What did the … Continue reading →

When Night Turns To Day: Receiving The Gift Of Hope At Christmas!

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I want to let you in on a little secret. It’s a secret that, for those who are Christians that observe Advent, was reflected upon this past weekend. It’s a secret that was shared between Mary and Elizebeth from the Gospel of Luke. As Scripture shares with us, Mary went in haste to see her cousin Elizabeth since the angel announced to Mary that both she and her cousin were pregnant. Is the secret I speak of about two women who just found out they are expecting a baby? Don’t get me wrong, I have had a taste of that excitement as former students of mine have called me in the past to share with me that they are expecting a child and ask me to do two things: The Baptism after they are born and not to tell anyone – especially their parents. However, that isn’t the secret I speak of. So, then, what is this great “secret” that … Continue reading →

The Conflicted Heart – Consume, Conserve, and Curate.

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The image above is a representation of three dispositions of heart the human person has toward creation: Consume, Conserve, and Curate. From the standpoint of Consume, it is a basic fact that the human person does need to consume certain things from creation to survive and advance as a people. Yet, we also know that consumption without moral restraints can lead to exploitation, wastefulness, and harming human dignity as the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” gets wider and wider. Consumerism also leads to an isolationist mentality in which the more we consume the more “self-centered” we approach life. Regard for how our life choices impact others is lessened, replaced by the ethic of “What is good for me is what is morally correct.” This radical relativism creates deep conflicts between people and nations. From the standpoint of Conserve, the call of Pope Francis to care for creation is deeply rooted in conservation. In the United States, what is … Continue reading →

Small Choices With Big Implications.

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Corporal Work of Mercy: To build a better world through choices that avoid violence, exploitation, and selfishness. Reflect on the collage of images below. At the center is a person deep in thought. Around him is the world in which he lives and the world that his choices impact. He is placed at the center because his choices will ultimately impact him as well. How does humanity’s choices impact the different parts of creation depicted in each image? What are the implications for humanity when those choices are made? What are the choices you face on a daily basis that either support or challenge our call to Care for Creation? The heart of Pope Francis’ Corporal Work of Mercy for Creation is choices: Choices that you and I make and their moral implications. The heart of selfishness toward creation is when we adopt the ethic of, The only choice that matters is what I want to use creation for to … Continue reading →

The Contemplation of God through the Contemplation of God’s Creation.

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Spiritual Work of Mercy: The Contemplation of God through the Contemplation of God’s Creation. To begin, take a few minutes and simply gaze at Michaela’s first photograph titled, Contemplation. How does it speak to you? Next, look at the second image that provides you with questions for reflection.   Pope Francis has added two new Works of Mercy pertaining to Care for Creation. The Spiritual Work of Mercy can be summarized as: The Contemplation of God through the Contemplation of God’s Creation. How do the images above speak to you about the need to care for creation? Do you find your view of creation to be more functional or sacramental, seeing a sacred character to creation or simply a collection raw materials to be used as we desire? What are the moral and ethical responsibilities that awaken in us as was gaze upon God’s creation? Spiritual Exercise: Take some time today, get outside (weather permitting), and practice The Contemplation of … Continue reading →

Passages From the Bible that Scare the “H-E-Double Hockey Sticks” Out of You.

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This past weekend, the readings the Catholic Church used for Mass had a clear apocalyptic overtone. For those of you who are not familiar with apocalyptic literature, it is a series of texts that oftentimes speak of the end of the world. At the same time, we cannot reduce these passages to mere doom and gloom. True apocalyptic literature always points to something from the past, something that is going on in the present, and something that is pointing to the future. Many who interpret the Book of Revelation fixate on future events, trying to guess when the end of the world will come. Christ, himself, in this weekend’s Gospel, dissuades this approach. Rather, we need to stop and first ask, “How would the people of Jesus’ time have experienced these texts?” The problem is, living over 2,000 years after these texts were penned, we don’t have the common experience of Jesus’ time to see the clear connections to what … Continue reading →

Apathy and Ethos: Exploring Creative Ways To Promote Care For Creation.

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What is your opinion of global warming? Though this question usually leads to a plethora of dueling political, theological, scientific, and personal ideologies about climate change, most people do believe we should be good stewards of creation. The point of division is what care for creation should look like and how should it be done? The more I write, pray, and reflect on the question of care for creation, I think that one of the struggles of getting on the same page with the environment is the use of a language of extremes to accentuate subtlety of change. For example, smoking is not allowed in any public building in the state of Wisconsin. When this policy was enacted, there was much debate about the relationship between personal freedom and public health. Years later, while on vacation, I was surprised to learn that smoking is not banned in public buildings in the state of Oregon. When a good friend of mine joined … Continue reading →