Ignatius C. Wadas

The Rev. Monsignor Ignatius C. Wadas, 89, went to be with the Lord on Friday, Sept. 21, 2012, at The Sisters of the Sacred Heart at John Paul II Nursing Home, Cresson.

Born Dec. 6, 1922, in Wanamie, he was the ninth of 10 children of Ignatius and Magdalena Jaszcz Wadas.

He was preceded in death by brothers, Stanley, Peter, Bernard and Frank; and sisters, Mary, Lottie, Helen and Celia.

Monsignor Wadas is survived by his sister, Antoinette Paczkowski, Glen Lyon; sister-in-law, Dolores Wadas, Nanticoke; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He is also survived by his longtime faithful housekeeper and caregiver, Nina Lizik.

He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, having served in the European Theater of Operations.

After the service came college and seminary training at Mount St. Mary, Emmitsburg, Md. He was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood on May 16, 1953, at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Altoona, by the Most Rev. Richard T. Guilfoyle, D.D.

Father's first solemn Mass was celebrated in his parish-church on May 17, 1953, at St. Mary of Czestochowa Church, Nanticoke. Monsignor Wadas served in the following parishes: Our Lady of Victory Church, State College; St. Patrick's Church, Johnstown; St. Joseph's Church Renovo; Most Precious Blood Church, Emeigh; and Holy Incarnation Mission, Marsteller. He served as assistant pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church from June 1955 to June 1959, where he assisted the pastor, the Rev. Ignatius M. Pilz, the founding pastor from 1916. He was pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church from January 1966 to June 1997. In July 1990, Monsignor Wadas was also assigned as a "clustered" pastor of the neighboring parish in Central City of St. John the Baptist Church. He constructed the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in January 1968 and also constructed the Sacred Heart Activities Center in September 1983.

For more than 35 years, Monsignor Wadas worked to establish many ministries, services and programs to help the people of the church and the local community. He also worked to stabilize parish finances and make the church facilities self-sustaining, as well as established financial burses for the good of the church and her people: The Father Pilz Memorial Seminarian Burse, Our Lady's Burse and the Dydo Family Burse.

Monsignor Wadas diligently worked to maintain the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery, founded by his longtime personal friend, Father Pilz, in 1916, and the St. John the Baptist Cemetery. Monsignor Wadas worked to accurately record all of the burial sights on the Sacred Heart Cemetery Map, established by Father Pilz.

He was a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus, which will serve as honor guard during visitation.

The parish family will receive all those family and friends wishing to pay their respects to Monsignor Wadas from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church (formerly the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church), 738 Sunshine Ave., Central City. A vigil will be held Tuesday evening.

The Funeral Mass will be concelebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, the Most Rev. Mark Bartchak, bishop of the Altoona-Johnstown diocese, principal celebrant. Concelebrating will be the Rev. Raymond Wadas, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Takoma Park, Md., nephew to Monsignor Wadas.

Committal will be in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery in front of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue. A luncheon will be served, following the graveside ceremony, in the Sacred Heart Activities Center by the Society of Angels and the Activities Center Ministries.

A special thank you to The Sisters of the Sacred Heart at John Paul II Nursing Home, Cresson, for their more than two years of loving service, and to The Windber Hospice for their outstanding compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Sisters of the Sacred Heart at John Paul II Nursing Home, Cresson.

Arrangements are by William Kisiel Funeral Home, Windber.