John F. Swantek

1933 - 2022

Prime Bishop Emeritus John F. Swantek, 88, of Scranton, passed away Jan. 7 at home surrounded by his family after an illness. He leaves behind his wife of 55 years, Arlene (Miskiavitch) Swantek. Born in Cheshire, Conn., on May 15, 1933, he was the son of the late Felix Swantek and Elsie (Simmons) Swantek.

Bishop John graduated from Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Conn. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Clark University, Worcester, Mass., and a Master of Arts degree in philosophy from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn. He attended Savonarola Theological Seminary in Scranton, and was ordained to the priesthood in the Polish National Catholic Church on Sept. 1, 1958.

His first parish was at Holy Trinity Church in Webster, Mass., where he met his wife, Arlene. Ten years later, he was assigned to St. Joseph's parish in Westfield, Mass., and was a member of the Diocesan Council, the National Commission on Liturgy, the Theological Commission and the School of Christian Living Commission.

While serving his pastorates in both Webster and Westfield, Father John was a member of the local Clergy Association, serving as secretary and president. During his tenure in Westfield, he was involved with the Clergy Association in the establishment of the Westfield Drug Council, where he sat many evenings on the drug hotline. He also taught various courses at Savonarola Theological Seminary in Scranton.

On Sept. 29, 1975, Father John was elevated to the rank of Senior Priest in the church and on Nov. 30, 1978, he was consecrated Bishop. He moved to Buffalo, N.Y. and served as diocesan bishop of the Buffalo-Pittsburg Diocese at Holy Mother of the Rosary Cathedral. Bishop John was elected Prime Bishop of the Polish National Catholic Church in the fall of 1986. He relocated to Scranton and was installed as the fifth Prime Bishop on Nov. 23, 1986, at St. Stanislaus Cathedral.

During his tenure as Prime Bishop, he had the opportunity to travel to various countries and in his travels, he met with Pope John Paul II, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Queen Elizabeth II and Mother Theresa. He also had the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land and celebrated Mass in Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

After serving two consecutive eight-year terms as Prime Bishop, he retired from his position and continued to serve the church for more than a decade.

Prime Bishop John was an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching tennis, golf and soccer on TV. He was a huge New England Patriots fan and thought Tom Brady could do no wrong. He also loved the Boston Red Sox and got the chance to celebrate World Series victories with his children and grandchildren. He spent much of his time reading in the evenings in his favorite chair. He read the Bible daily, but also enjoyed reading biographies, non-fiction and fictional stories.

Prime Bishop John enjoyed spending time with his family and attended numerous baseball games, dance recitals, violin concerts and various school events. He enjoyed Sunday dinners with his wife, children and grandchildren and loved the spontaneous visits from his grandchildren throughout the week. He looked forward to receiving his Sunday phone calls from his son so they could discuss sports and updates with the family. We spent many days together laughing and sharing stories about the past and present. His sense of humor was with him until the end of his life. His contagious laugh will always be remembered.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Felix Swantek; a brother-in-law, David Burke; a brother-in-law, Richard Fecteau; and a sister-in-law, Kim Swantek.

He is survived by his wife, Arlene; a daughter, Lynn and husband, Kevin Pfohl; a son, John and wife, Wendy Swantek; a daughter, Leslie and husband, William Doyle; and a daughter, Melissa Swantek; grandchildren, Nicholas, Elizabeth, Matthew and Olivia Pfohl, Cameron and Casey Swantek, Abigail and Andrew Doyle, Kaitlyn and Celeste Gingerlowski; siblings, Robert Swantek; Gerald Swantek and companion, Ronald Salka; Glenn and wife, Amy Swantek; Nancy Burke and Alice Fecteau; nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank Dr. Liptock and all the staff at Hematology & Oncology Associates of NEPA PC, Hospice of the Sacred Heart and Dr. Michael Rogan for their kindness and compassion. In addition, the family would like to thank everyone who visited, called and sent cards.

The funeral Mass will be offered Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Stanislaus Polish National Catholic Cathedral, 531 E. Locust St., Scranton. Vespers service will be held Friday at 7 p.m. Interment, St. Stanislaus Parish Cemetery, Kane Street, Scranton.

Family and friends will be received at the church Friday, 4 to 7 p.m., and Saturday morning, 9 a.m. until time of Mass.

CDC guidelines will be followed and the family requests that masks be worn for services. Donations may be made to St. Casimir's Church, 240 Quinnipiac St., Wallingford, CT 06492.

Arrangements by Joseph W. Sznyter, F.D., Nicholas Chomko Funeral Home, 1132 Prospect Ave., South Scranton.