This past month, I have embarked on a personal project: Designing an outdoor patio. The reason for this project is multilayered. From the perspective of being the Pastor of St. Olaf Parish, we own a vacant lot next to my rectory that is empty. Due to zoning regulations, there is very little we can do with this lot since we are within the direct flight path of the Eau Claire Municipal Airport. A garden patio is one of the few things that would both beautify the lot and respect the zoning laws. On a personal level, I come from a family that, during summer, would spend a great deal of time on our outdoor deck. When visiting home, it is common to wake up to an empty house as my parents would be having their morning coffee outside. This simple wood structure, combined with the beauty of our central Wisconsin farm, became a true oasis for the family. The simple, … Continue reading →

One of the understandable occupational hazard that can greatly increase the stress of a Catholic priest is Easter. Amid the culmination of Lent, the spiritual and emotional power of Holy Week, the joy of Easter Sunday, First Communion, Confirmation, and St. Olaf’s parish festival, my time has been rather crunched, but in a good, fruitful way! Many approach Easter as a day and for understandable reasons. Between Easter sales in stores, Easter Egg Hunts, and grown adults who dress up in a bunny costume (kindof odd when you think about it), Easter is a feast that the broader culture has turned into a day of chocolate, chocolate… and a lot more chocolate! For Christians who observe a liturgical calendar,  Easter is not only a day of celebration but a season. The lead-up to Easter is the 40 day period (give or take a couple days) of Lent. The symbolic understanding of this time is multilayered, symbolizing the 40 days Jesus … Continue reading →

I wish to apologize for my absence from Sacred Space Astronomy these past few weeks. The Easter season is a time that dramatically increases the workload for a priest. In addition to Holy Week and Easter Sunday, the weeks that follow are typically the time parishes will celebrate First Communion for our 2nd Grade students and Confirmation for our Sophomores. Throw in Mother’s Day and our parish FunFest and you begin to see the reason for my absence. Sadly, there are also unanticipated moments that become a struggle for a priest, a parish, and a community. The Tuesday after Easter Sunday, one of our parish youth, Williamefipanio Hessel, went missing in the Chippewa River. Will and his friends decided, on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon, to go to one of the local parks to swim. Sadly, given the higher and faster river waters due to seasonal flooding, Will disappeared while swimming. It was announced yesterday that Will was found. I would … Continue reading →

A couple months ago, I received a call from Hilary Ribbons from Guideposts. Hilary writes for the branch of Guideposts that publishes Mysterious Ways and asked if they could do an article with me on faith and science. Below is a Q and A they did with me apart from the article. To visit the original post, click here to read Look to the Heavens: A Conversation With Fr. Kurzynski. An excerpt from the Q and A, originally published by Guideposts.com on March 5, 2019 How did your interest in astronomy and faith begin? It started as a kid. I grew up in rural Wisconsin on our family farm. I was really blessed to be born in a very dark part of the state with clear skies where I could see the stars. I was a daydreamer who loved to lie in the backyard and marvel at the beauty of the night sky. I would look at the heavens and … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →