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Father Joseph Zawada is the founder of the St. Joseph’s Carmelite Monastery in Korona, Florida, and lovingly served this community for 33 years until his passing.
 
Born April 2, 1934, in a small town in Eastern Poland, Górecko Kościelne, he was one of seven children and had a calling to the priesthood early in his life. In fact, everyone in the village knew he would become a priest when he grew up. He first attempted joining an order when he was about 15 years old, but this first choice was not a good fit as he found the order unwelcoming and cold. So, he returned home, much to his mother’s dismay, who told him she would rather wish for all her cows to be dead than he come home! He knew he still wanted to join the priesthood but wanted to find the right community. One day, after he had been home for a while, he read an article in the newspaper about the Carmelite Order and their way of life: they were looking for new candidates so he decided to apply. In 1952, at the age of 18, he entered the novitiate in Czerna and accepted the Carmelite habit and received the name of Flavius of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He completed his high school education in Poznan in 1955, then studied philosophy at the Major Seminary of the Discalced Carmelite in Poznan, and theology in Krakow. On November 9, 1958, he took his solemn religious vows and on June 22, 1964, he was ordained a priest in Krakow by Bishop Julian Groblicki.  

After his ordination, he completed his specialist studies in natural philosophy at the Catholic University in Lublin. From 1969 to 1973, he was called to teach chemistry and biology in Wadowice at the Minor Seminary; from 1973 to 1976 he was a mission zealot and pastor of the sick in Krakow; and from 1976 to 1981 he was a catechist and treasurer for the Wroclaw monastery. It is during this time that he came to know Fr. Karol Jozef Wojtyla, the future Pope Saint John Paul II.

In 1981, Fr. Joseph arrived in the United States to work as a Polish pastor at the Carmelite Monastery in Munster, Indiana, where he remained until 1988. On February 13^th of that year, at the age of 54, Father Joseph was called to Korona, Florida, to found a Carmelite Monastery to serve the Polish speaking community of the area as well as others in need. On July 16, 1988, the day of the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Carmelite Monastery in Korona was established and dedicated to St. Joseph per the wishes of Fr. Tom Balys, Prior of Munster Indiana, and Fr. Joseph Zawada was made Superior.

Brother Patrick, who has been at the monastery since its inception, recalls how Father Joseph was devoted to prayer and would share stories of miracles he experienced or heard of in his life; the acquisition of the property for the monastery was, indeed, one of those miracles which Fr. Joseph related several years before his death. He explained that the request to build the monastery for the Polish community had already been agreed upon by local Monsignor Bayer and by Fr. Tom Balys, of Munster Indiana. Monsignor Bayer had 3 acres allocated to the monastery costing $120,000 but, the morning of the sale, a friend of Monsignor Bayer, Mr. Berezoski, happened to stop by for a cup of coffee. Being apprised of the land sale deal, he informed that his friend, Mr. Wren, had a pine tree grove of 12 acres for sale down the road, in a more secluded and private area. They politely agreed to see the land, but expected it to be too expensive to afford. The land was indeed beautiful and spacious, had a double wide trailer and a dilapidated farmhouse on it. When Fr. Joseph asked the price and Mr. Wren said $120,000, all were shocked and Father Joseph exclaimed: “How could this be? 3 acres vs 12?” Well, he knew then it was the hand of God.  Fr. Joseph was left in charge of the 12-acre property and of a bank account of one thousand dollars to start building the St. Joseph Carmelite monastery. When Fr. Tom Balys left, he said to Fr. Joseph, “Now you work!” and that is exactly what he did.

Fr. Joseph was a man of many skills, which included carpentry, gardening, and cooking. He used these skills to develop the monastery grounds and provide for the faithful who came to support the monastery’s development.
When Brother Patrick was asked, “What did Father Joseph build?” his comment was “Everything!”  He then clarified that Father Joseph built the two altars in the chapels and the two lecterns; he designed everything else and helped with the actual building where he could. Brother Patrick continued, “Fr. Joseph would wake up in the morning with the ideas and sketches he had worked on during the night.” He had a team of retired Polish contractors and an architect, who then brought his designs to life.

Through his love for Jesus, Father Joseph was gracious and looked for the good in all people and situations, despite the struggles of his childhood and challenges he suffered
in communist Poland. He loved all people. For the elderly, he had a tender, patient heart and, with children and adults, he offered a hug, candy, treats sometimes homemade and pens that said, “Jesus loves you!” He loved cooking and, during the early years after mass, he would provide hot dogs and apple dumplings to the congregation; later, he also made other wonderful traditional polish dishes, never using a recipe, therefore, his dishes were a little different every time. He would perform mass for the Polish community in Jacksonville two times a month and often helped with masses at St. Mary’s and at Santa Maria del Mar. He was called to anoint the sick, offer confession, and hold masses for baptisms, weddings, and funerals.

Father Joseph was very dedicated to prayer. He envisioned and established the Prayer Gardens to inspire quiet time for prayer and reflection with God. He wanted everyone to have the ability to walk the path and to enjoy them, so he made the path drivable for those who could not walk and also provided golf carts as another option. When he heard the 10 commandments were being retracted nationally from American schools, he put them into the gardens. He wanted not just one inscribed in English, but ten, reflecting all the languages of the people coming to the monastery: English, French, Tagalog (Philippine), German, Hebrew, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Korean. He was very dedicated to the Divine Mercy, especially after his fall in the Chapel, and had the Divine Mercy added to the prayer garden. He was very open to new devotions, and this is how the devotion for Corpus Christi, and the Fatima procession were started. To date, people come from all over to participate in and celebrate these very special occasions.

He never complained about his illnesses or about the various injuries he suffered throughout his life, but offered them up to God.  As his vision progressively failed him, he still provided confession to those in need for as long as he could. Fr. Artur, the Superior at the time of Fr. Joseph’s death, recalls that, when he was terminally ill, he wanted to visit the monastery cemetery almost every day and would say, “I want to be buried here… I will be the first one.”

Fr. Joseph embodied Christ’s love for all people and it was this love that brought so many to come and worship on the beautiful property of the Korona Carmelite Monastery. … If Father Joseph had any parting last words for all who visited the Monastery, they would be: “Jesus loves, You!”

Father Joseph was tender and kind; my son was full of energy and Fr. Joseph was patient and loving with him and my non-Catholic husband and elderly Italian parents. He always greeted them with Polish jelly and a hug and his famous pens that read “Jesus loves, you.” We all loved him. He embodied love, peace, and forgiveness.  The kids could not wait to bring the dogs for blessing and Fr. Joseph would greet with open arms the kids and the dogs. He was there for the young, old and furry ones, too. He loved his prayer garden and often we walked and prayed together, and he loved when I brought kids of other religious denominations. He would greet them with love, Polish jelly and a hug after they walked the gardens. It was an honor to spend time with him when he was ill and provide him the love, he provided to everyone else.                            

Dr. Andria Klioze and Family

Though I didn’t know Father Joseph for a very long time, I recall the feeling of serenity and love he exuded from the very first time I met him. He had a soothing smile, was soft spoken, gentle and loving and he could easily read your heart with his profound and penetrating eyes. He put you at ease and gave you comfort just by being in his presence and surrounded by his pious aura. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to know him and be touched by his presence.

Emma O. Brombin