Fr. Jim Piszker

Reverend Jim Piszker is the chaplain for the students at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. When school is in session Fr. Piszker celebrates mass Monday thru Thursday at 8:00 AM and Sundays at 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM at the Christ the King Chapel on the university grounds. 

Fr. Jim’s presence here on campus goes far beyond celebrating mass. Campus Ministry at Mercyhurst University is very active. Students can choose to attend retreats, fellowship groups, prayer and study groups. These are available to all students regardless of their faith. Fr. Jim encourages the students to lead the various groups giving them the opportunity to help other students to grow in their faith as well as spiritual growth for the leaders themselves.

Fr. Piszker hails from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania where I am sure that he gets many questions about Punxsutawney Phil as well as some gentle ribbing. At 65 years old, Fr. Jim is just as enthusiastic about his vocation as he was when he was first ordained. His homilies are very engaging for the students, which is no minor feat in this day and age. Father earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in English from Clarion University located in Clarion, Pennsylvania. He received his Masters in Divinity degree from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland and was ordained to the priesthood in 1999 by Bishop Donald Trautman. When I asked him how he came about to be the Mercyhurst Campus Chaplain, he simply said, “I was assigned here by the bishop.”

Father Piszker enjoys listening to music in the little spare time that he affords himself. He particularly likes popular music ranging from the 1950s to the 1990s. Something people might not expect to hear about him is that he used to be a real estate tax assessor. I suppose that you can say that he and Zechaius, the tax collector in Luke 19, had something in common although Fr. Piszker approached his job much more honestly than Zacchaeus.