Rev. Kazimierz Zabawa, C.Ss.R. passed peacefully to God on December 15, 2012. Fr. Kaz was born on Dec. 11, 1928 in Lqki Gorne, Poland. His parents were Anna and Michal Zabawa who was a police officer and later a blacksmith and farmer in Lqki, Poland where they raised five children. Predeceased by his sister Maria and brother Jozef, Father Kaz is survived by his older brother, Ludwik Zabawa, his younger sister Teresa Czerkawski, both residing in Poland and his sister-in-law, Ola Zabawa, of Winnipeg, as well as many nephews, nieces, great and great-great nephews and nieces in Canada and Poland. When the Second World War began, he escaped into the forests of Poland to evade enemy soldiers and survived by hunting and became an expert in identifying wild mushrooms. His love for the wilderness followed him for the rest of his life. He was an avid beekeeper in Poland and later brought his skills to Canada where he also remained a keen hunter and fisher for many years. It was a great honour for any family to have one of their members choose to serve the Catholic Church and Fr. Kaz made his family very proud when he entered the Redemptorist Novitiate of the Warsaw Province, making his first profession of vows on August 2, 1948. Following ordination on June 19, 1955 at the Redemptorist seminary in Tuchow, Poland, he studied canon law under the mentorship of then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla who later became Pope John Paul II, at the Katolicki Uniwersytet at Lubelski, Poland, (1956-1960). Later he studied in Rome for a Doctorate of Theology. Returning to the seminary at Tuchow, Fr. Kaz taught canon law (1960-1976) and English (1973-1976). During this period, he also served as editor of Nasze Wiadomsci, the official periodical of the Warsaw Province, (1964-1966) and vice prefect of students (1968-1969). At the request of the Redemptorists of the Edmonton Province, Fr. Kaz came to Canada in April 1978. During his active apostolate, he was appointed to the Western Canadian Redemptorist parishes of Holy Trinity, Calgary, (1978-1979); St. Joseph’s, Moose Jaw, (1979-1981, 1993-1996), and St. Alphonsus, Winnipeg, (1981-1993). Since 2002, he retired to St. Mary’s parish in Saskatoon, where he celebrated the golden anniversary of his ordination in 2005. Fr. Kaz dedicated his life to serving God and enriched the lives of anyone who was fortunate enough to know him. He will be remembered with joy and sadly missed. Viewing and Vigil Prayers for Fr. Kaz will be on Wednesday, December 19 at 8:00pm and Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday, December 20 at 10:30am. Both will take place at St. Mary’s Parish, 211 Avenue O South, Saskatoon. Email condolences may be sent to mail@westwoodfuneralchapel.com. Interment will follow at Holy Cross cemetery in Edmonton, AB. Arrangements are entrusted to Westwood Funeral Chapel. Ph 653-3434