RIP: 02/07/2022 - Medellín

Fr. Tadeusz Koncewicz was born on 17 September 1936 in the municipality of Guarne- Antioquia. After his primary school, he went to the Divine Saviour Seminary in La Estrella, where he finished his high school studies in 1955. Consecutively he started the novitiate, under the guidance of Fr. Maurinus Rast. He made his first profession of vows in Bogotá on 2 February 1957. In 1961 he finished his philosophy studies at the Pontifical University Javierana in Bogotá and was sent to la Estrella to teach in the Salvatorian College. One year later, he was sent to Rome for his Theological Studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, exactly during the time of the Second Vatican Council. On 26 March 1966, he was ordained a priest in the Basilica of St. John Lateran by Cardinal Luigi Traglia. Only half a year later he could celebrate his first Mass in his hometown on 25 September. At the apostolic level Fr. Jairo worked in different places, even abroad in the United States in the pastoral field of parishes, in the Motherhouse in Rome as the treasurer, and in Ecuador as a vicar parish priest. In Colombia, he worked in education, formation and parishes and in many occasions, Fr. Jairo served during two terms of office as the Provincial Superior and was involved as a councilmember during many other mandates, while being local superior, rector or treasurer. Due to his weak health condition, Fr. Jairo had to be constantly monitored by doctors. Finally, he had to be transferred to the Maurino Rast Community in La Estrella-Antioquia, where he was lovingly cared for by his siblings and the employees assigned to his care. On 2 July 2022, he passed away surrounded by his sisters, as well as by the confreres of his community. Fr. Jairo was 85 years old and had been a Salvatorian for 65 years.