A Message from the Rector: A Farewell to the Rev. Mitchell Bojarski
Redeemer Family;
As we come to the end of the Rev. Mitchell Bojarski’s time with the Church of the Redeemer community, we find ourselves unable to say goodbye in a way that is consistent with our desire. The physical distancing restrictions imposed by COVID-19 do not allow us to show our love and appreciation for him in person. This is painful and it grieves us. Nevertheless, we very much want to honor him for his 2+ years of leadership with our smiles, our personal words of thanks, and our wishes for God’s blessing upon the next chapter of life for him, Beth, Eliot, and James.
I am personally and professionally grateful for the work Mitch has done in our community. He partnered with parents to build a Youth Steering Committee, creating stability and structure to our Youth Ministry. He organized and guided 12 young Redeemerites through our first teen Confirmation class in several years, establishing a new curriculum for Confirmation prep. Because of Mitch, our Young Adult Ministry is a thriving, powerful ministry of people connected not only to each other but also active in our worshiping community. In short, he leaves our Youth and our Young Adult ministries beautifully prepared to step into a place of continued growth in the life of the Church of the Redeemer.
In my life as a priest, few colleagues have made me laugh as hard or as often as Mitch. His sense of humor often provided our staff meetings with both levity and acute observations that helped us see ourselves and each other differently. The same is true of his sermons, which are consistently thought-provoking and Christ-centered. And we have all been drawn nearer to God in participating in the Eucharist when Mitch celebrated. For all this and much more, he will be greatly missed.
As you probably already know, Mitch has been spending the last few months allowing his foot to properly heal while on short-term disability, and this has kept him from being able to be involved with us during this time. But I invite you to write him with your thoughts of gratitude and well wishes at the address below. We will also collect a Love Offering for Mitch, and if you’d like to contribute to that, please send your contribution to the attention of our Finance Officer, Debbi Alsfelder, marked “Mitch.” An already difficult time is made more difficult by this particular goodbye, but I hope you will take the opportunity to keep Mitch, his family, and Church of the Redeemer in your prayers as we all move forward in love.
Your friend and bother in Christ Jesus,
The Rev. Mitchell Bojarski
8405 Wisell St
Cincinnati, Ohio 45216-1224
