Jesuit Father Mitch Pacwa will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination and is being honored for his decades of service to his community and the faithful.

“This golden anniversary is a blessed occasion to offer gratitude for the abundant graces God has bestowed upon you throughout the past 50 years,” Bishop Elias Zaidan, bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, wrote in a letter to Father Pacwa.

Father Pacwa is celebrating decades as a Jesuit priest following his ordination on June 12, 1976, in Chicago and entrance into the Society of Jesus on Aug. 21, 1968. 

Father Pacwa has also had a successful media career after he began his work with EWTN under its foundress, Mother Angelica, in 1984.

After working in numerous cities, Father Pacwa relocated to Birmingham, Alabama, in 2001 to work full time with EWTN, where he has hosted several radio and television shows, series, and documentaries that teach and discuss the Catholic faith.

To honor his work, the Alabama Legislature enacted a resolution in April that recognizes his decades of service, theological contributions, and media work.

The priest has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology, a master of divinity and a sacred theology baccalaureate, and a master’s and doctorate in Old Testament studies from Vanderbilt University.

Father Pacwa has taught high school, college, and seminary courses. He is the author of more than 20 books, the founder of Ignatius Productions, a publishing company, and is a senior fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

Father Pacwa engages in prison ministry by evangelizing and serving the spiritual needs of prisoners. He has also led thousands of pilgrims to the Holy Land and other Christian sites in Europe and the Middle East.

Republican Rep. Chris Pringle introduced Alabamaʼs resolution, which honors Father Pacwaʼs “vocation” and “career that has touched the lives of innumerable people, many of them residents of Alabama, but also worldwide through his efforts in theological education, service to others, and ministry,” according to the measure.

The legislation acknowledges Father Pacwaʼs “tremendous contributions … to Alabamians and those that he has trained throughout the country, and through his worldwide impact through Alabama-based EWTN, with hopes that he may continue his exceptional ministry and continue to serve others in a way that reflects well on this state and nation, and on his Church.”

50 Years of Priestly Ministry

In addition to his publications and media presence, Father Pacwa also serves his community through celebrating the Maronite Catholic Mass at St. Elias Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic church in Birmingham.

During a June 7 Mass at the church, a letter from Bishop Zaidan was read to Father Pacwa.

“This is a wonderful milestone in your ministry and life,” Bishop Zaidan said. “We give sincere thanks to Almighty God for calling you and for your disposition to follow him in the religious and priestly life.”

The anniversary is “an opportunity for us to express our heartfelt appreciation for your steadfast dedication and faithful service to the people of God,” Bishop Zaidan said.

“As you reflect upon 50 years of priestly ministry, you can look back with gratitude on the countless lives you have touched, how you captivated so many people through your programs on EWTN, as well as providing care and guidance through the mission retreats you held over the years,” he said.

“May God continue to bless you abundantly and grant you many more years of faithful and fruitful ministry. I hope and pray you will have many more years filled with Godʼs grace,” the bishop said.