Paweł Socha CM
bishop Pawe? Socha CM was born 10 January 1935 in Wojs?awice (at present Radom County; Diocese of Radom). After graduating Vincentian Minor Seminary in Krakow he joined to Congregation of the Mission in Province of Poland. On 22 May 1958, in the Seminary church he received priestly ordination from hands of archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak, the Apostolic Administrator of Archdiocese of Krakow then, . On first post he was directed to Our Lady Assumption parish in Zagan (Sagan) in Western Poland near German border in then Diocese of Gorzow. During 1959 - 1962 he studied fundamental theology at Department of Theology at Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), the only private and church run university in communist Poland. Since 1962, after completing postgraduate studies, he undertook didactic work as fundamental and dogmatic theology, ecumenism and religion studies lecturer in the diocesan theological seminary in Go?cikowo-Parady? (Paradies). Vincentian Priests run and staffed the Theological Seminary for Diocese of Gorzow since its erection in 1947 in Gorzow (Landsberg am Warthe) and after its transfer to Parady? (Paradies)in 1952. In 1975 the seminary was passed to diocesan priests. In 1950s and 1960s both diocese of Gorzow and the theological seminary were the largest in Poland and they hugged with their area of almost 1/7 of country area. This lands on the west of the country were passed to Poland after WWII and for years temporary church administration was held there. In November 1973 pope Paul VI introduced new administrative organization of Catholic Church in Poland erecting new dioceses and splitting some others. In the same time, on 20 November 1973 pope Paul VI appointed Pawel Socha the titular bishop of Thunighaba (Carthagene, northern Africa) as well as the auxiliary bishop of splitted diocese of Gorzow (at present after another administrative division of the Church in Poland made by John Paul II -- the diocese of Zielona Gora and Gorzow). Ordained bishop 26 December 1973 in the Cathedral of Gorzow by Karol Cardinal Wojty?a (future pope John Paul II). In his episcopal coat of arms he placed motto: "Facere veritatem in caritate" -- " to face truth in loving". As bishop he works as member of committee Poles in diaspora, the committee of clergy as well as the mixed bishops and the higher superiors of religious orders in the Episcopate of Poland.
If you want to read this article in Polish go to Socha Pawe? entry at WincentyWiki -- Vincentian Encyclopedia Polish edition
