Polish heritage part of his Des Plaines ministry

When the Rev. Leonard T. Mezydlo first came to St. Stephen Protomartyr Church in Des Plaines for his assignment as pastor in 1980, he brought little with him except his clothes and his violin.

Transitioning back into parish work from his role as chaplain at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago, he embraced the opportunity, but he also brought a little remembrance from home -- his violin.

"It was important to him," says his sister, Rosemary Mezydlo of Wheaton. "He had played it while he was growing up, but he had little time for it once he started attending Quigley (Prepatory Seminary in Chicago)."

Fr. Mezydlo, a Chicago native, was ordained in 1950 and began his ministry as an associate pastor at St. Bruno Church, before serving at St. Constance, St. Joseph Summit and St. Casimir, all in Chicago.

Once he arrived in Des Plaines, he immersed himself in his new church, getting to know its members and capital projects at the parish.

"He was very friendly, and very much a people person," says the Rev. Michael Olivero, who took over as pastor in 1993. "He was interested in them and helped them through their problems."

Now his former parishioners are mourning his passing. Fr. Mezydlo died Friday. The 13-year pastor, who remained at the Des Plaines parish after his retirement, was 85.

One of the first projects he tackled was to renovate the inside of the church, which is at 1263 Prospect Ave. and dates back to 1954.

In coming to the parish, Fr. Mezydlo brought with him his Polish heritage. He spoke fluent Polish, and consequently, he drew Polish-speaking immigrants, as well as their traditions.

One of those, oplatke, or traditional wafers blessed during Christmas Eve dinners, began to be sold in the parish's gift shop.

Fr. Mezydlo also brought the tradition of blessing Easter baskets, before the Easter celebrations.

"We continued that even after he retired," Fr. Olivero adds. "I'd bless them in English and then he'd bless them in Polish."

Toward the end of his term as pastor, Fr. Mezydlo entered into discussions with the neighboring parish, St. Mary's Church in Des Plaines, about the possibility of consolidating their schools.

The meetings led to the launching of a new school, Our Lady of Destiny, which opened in 1994, and now serves more than 200 students on St. Stephen's campus.

Fr. Mezydlo also played a leadership role in the Archdiocese of Chicago, where during the same years he led St. Stephen's, he also served as a judge for the archdiocese's Marriage Tribunal, overseeing annulment hearings.

Besides his sister, Fr. Mezydlo is survived by his brother, Eugene (Frances) Mezydlo of Calumet City.

Visitation for Fr. Mezydlo will take place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, before a 10:30 a.m. funeral Mass on Thursday, both at St. Stephen Protomartyr Church, 1263 Prospect Ave. in Des Plaines.