Rev. Michael Polinek

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Fr. Michael Polinek was the Department Manager of the Sporting Goods Department at Wal-Mart. His plan was to work his way “up the ladder”, but that all changed in February of 2001. Fr. Mike made a three-day retreat and had a powerful experience of God’s love and mercy. He never had dreams of being a priest and he never thought much about God. But that was just the  beginning of an unknown, life changing path. Two months later, God revealed to Fr. Mike that a seminary was sitting on that path. In August of 2002 he entered seminary studies and was ordained a Catholic priest eight years later, June 11, 2010, at St. Peter Cathedral in Erie, PA.
 

Fr. Mike was born and raised in Erie, PA. After graduating from McDowell High School in 1997, he went on to work in landscaping for the Diocesan Cemeteries and then began working at Wal-Mart in December of 1998. In 2002 Fr. Mike entered St. Mark Seminary and Gannon University and graduated in 2006 with a Liberal Arts degree. He continued his seminary studies at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA and graduated with a Masters of Divinity degree in 2010.
 

As priest, Fr. Mike has served as Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Warren, PA, and St. George Parish in Erie PA. In 2015 he was named the Vocation Director for the Diocese of Erie and Assistant Episcopal Master of Ceremonies. During that time, he was named Chaplain of the Penn State Behrend Campus. In 2021, Fr. Mike was named Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Lucinda and St. Michael Parish in Fryburg, and in 2023 was also named Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Crown.