Leonard F. CHROBOT

16 APR 1938 - 9 SEP 2014

• OCCUPATION: Catholic Priest
  
• OCCUPATION: Pastor St Patrick & Hedwige Churches
  
• BIRTH: 16 APR 1938, South Bend, IN
• ORDINATION: 1964
• DEATH: 9 SEP 2014, South Bend, IN

INDEX

[N10312] Reverend Leonard F. Chrobot
April 16, 1938 - Sept. 9, 2014
SOUTH BEND - The Reverend Leonard F. Chrobot passed away Tuesday, September 9, 2014, in South Bend, Indiana. Born in South Bend on April 16, 1938, to Henry Chrobot and Marie Wroblewski, Fr. Leonard was 76 years old. He attended St. Adalbert Elementary School in South Bend, St. Mary's Preparatory, St. Mary's College, Saints Cyril and Methodious Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan, and was ordained to the priesthood in May 1964. That summer he served as assistant at St. Adalbert and taught English at the University of Notre Dame. In August 1964 he was appointed to the faculty of Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne where he served until 1967. In 1968 he completed a Master's Degree in American Literature from Purdue University and a Doctorate in 1975 from Wayne State University in Detroit. In 1967 Bishop Leo Pursley released Fr. Len to return to St. Mary's to serve as Dean of Men and instructor of English for the college and American Literature for the Preparatory. He served as Academic Dean of the College from 1968-1976 and as President from 1977-1987. After a sabbatical at Harvard and New York City he returned to teaching at St. Mary's. In 1989 he returned to the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend as Pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Culver, serving the Culver Academies as Chaplain and began teaching at Notre Dame University again as an adjunct professor of sociology. In 1991 he came home to South Bend and served as Pastor at St. Adalbert followed by St. Hedwig in 1995 and St. Patrick in 2001. During this time he was appointed coordinator of the American Polish Research Fellowship Program at Notre Dame. He retired in 2013 and celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination in May 2014. Among his many accomplishments, he was one of the founders of the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs, Washington, DC; co-founder of the Polish American-Jewish American Dialog in Detroit which developed into the National Polish American-Jewish American Council; one of 18 United States delegates to the 50th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1944; served as president of the Polish American Historical Association from 1987-1989; named Outstanding Educator of the United States in 1970; received the Governor's Minuteman Award for the State of Michigan in 1978; Righteous Gentile Citation of Sharrait Haplayah (Holocaust Survivors) of Metro Detroit in 1979; and Alumnus of the Year at Orchard Lake in 2003. Fr. Len loved spending time at his renovated cottage on Lake Tyrone in Fenton, Michigan, with longtime friends and co-owners, Gary Janusz and Fr. David Harvey, and his dogs, Alex and Burek. Family was of the highest priority for him so saying Mass at family gatherings brought him great joy. One of the high points in his life was travelling with his mother. On one of their trips he and Marie met Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square, a moment they both cherished. Fr. Chrobot is survived by his sister Joan and her husband, Charles Webber, his brother, Hank Chrobot; his nieces and nephews, Sharon (Webber) and Michael Poulin, Chuck and Nancy Webber, Therese (Webber) and Joel Hoff, David Webber, Kurt and Alicia Webber, Gregg and Jan Webber, Lisa (Webber) and Paul Kahler, Michael Webber and Michael Smith, Andrea (Webber) and Jeff Miller, Sue (Chrobot) and John Macken, Mike Chrobot and Kim Gladden, John and Connie Chrobot, Rob Chrobot, and Steve and Julie Chrobot; 29 great-nieces and nephews, and 2 great-great-nephews. To them he was known as "Uncle-Father-Doctor Len." He was pre-deceased by his parents, his sister-in-law, Marylou Chrobot, his nephew Eric Webber, and a great-niece. Visitation for Fr. Chrobot will be 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm Friday, September 12, 2014, in St. Hedwig Catholic Church, 331 S. Scott St., with a Rosary to be prayed at 4:30 p.m. and vigil at 7:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Bishop Rhoades at 11:00 am Saturday, September 13, 2014. ST. JOSEPH FUNERAL HOME, 824 S. Mayflower Rd., is assisting the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Adalbert School and St. Hedwig Parish. Condolences may be made at www.sjfh.net. Published in South Bend Tribune on Sept. 11, 2014

More About Leonard F. Chrobot:
Leonard F. Chrobot, adjunct professor of sociology and coordinator of the American Polish Research Fellowship Program at Notre Dame, has just been appointed Pastor of St. Patrick Church, in addition to continuing as Pastor of St. Hedwig Church.
The following article was taken from Faculty News of Notre Dame in 2001.
Leonard F. Chrobot, adjunct professor of sociology and coordinator of the American Polish Research Fellowship Program at Notre Dame, has been appointed Paster of St. Patrick Catholic Church, in addition to continuing as Pastor of St. Hedwig Catholic Church, effective July 1, 2001. This collaboration was necessitated by the withdrawal of the Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.) from St. Patrick's after 146 years of service.

Education:
High School: 1956 - St. Mary's Prep, Orchard Lake MI
College: 1960 - St. Mary's College, Orchard Lake MI
Seminary: 1964 - SS Cyril and Methodius, Orchard Lake, MI
Ordination: 1964
Masters Degree: Purdue University, Lafayette IN
Doctorate Degree: 1975 - Wayne State University, Detroit MI
Graduate Studies: University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan and Indiana University

Assignments:
Faculty at St. Mary's College, Orchard Lake MI, from 1967 to 1987
Dean at St. Mary,s College from 1968 to 1977
President of St. Mary's College from 1977 to 1987.
Pastor of St. Mary's of the Lake, Culver IN from 1989 to 1991.
Pastor of St. Adalbert's Catholic Church, South Bend IN from 1991 to 1995
Pastor of St. Hedwig Catholic Churh, South Bend IN from 1995 to date

Awards: In 1970 was named an outstanding educator of the United States.

More About Leonard F. Chrobot:
Fact 1: His mother's obituary states the he is Rev. Leonard Chrobot. The author has found 2 obituaries where he conducted final services - one on 10-11-2002 at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, & one on 11-6-2002 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church.
Occupation: He is a Catholic Priest of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, as a Diocesan Priest. In January, 2002 he was the Pastor of St. Hedwig Catholic Church