Fr. Antoni Balcerzak, Salesian and TV Trwam Host, Has Died

Fr. Antoni Balcerzak SDB, a Salesian, lecturer and contributor to Radio Maryja and Telewizja Trwam (TV Trwam), has died. He passed away on Wednesday, 14 October, in the early morning, at the age of 68. The news was reported by the portal radiomaryja.pl.

Who Was Fr. Antoni Balcerzak

As reported by “Nasz Dziennik” (Our Daily), citing radiomaryja.pl, the priest died on 14 October at 3:30 a.m. The newspaper describes him as a friend of Radio Maryja, TV Trwam and “Nasz Dziennik”.

On TV Trwam he hosted the programme “From the School Bench” (“Ze szkolnej ławki”). It showed the life of Catholic schools across Poland, their everyday realities, achievements and the people who make up school communities. At Radio Maryja he also hosted the youth programme “Time of Growing Up” (“Czas wzrastania”).

According to the local portal Nasze Miasto Aleksandrów Kujawski, he was born on 21 May 1958 in Szczaniec. He was a Salesian and a lecturer at the Academy of Social and Media Culture in Toruń. He led the community at the Kujawski College of the Salesians of St John Bosco in Aleksandrów Kujawski from 2000 to 2006, and from 2004 to 2006 he also headed the school.

Cause of Death

According to the local portal, the priest died after a serious illness. Neither the family nor the congregation has provided further details.

Farewell

The Salesians noted that Fr. Balcerzak died on National Education Day. On social media they wrote that he devoted a large part of his ministry to education and upbringing, and that, visiting schools with a camera, he showed “how much good is born every day on school benches” (“Nasz Dziennik”). The local portal remembers him as a kind man who loved young people and students and often directed his numerous sermons to them.

Funeral

The funeral will take place on Tuesday, 20 October, at 12:00 noon in the family parish of the deceased in Szczaniec, near Świebodzin (information from Nasze Miasto Aleksandrów Kujawski).

Not to Be Confused With Another Priest of the Same Name

Online, information is also circulating about the death of Canon Antoni Balcerzak, parish priest from Inowrocław and exorcist of the Archdiocese of Gniezno. This is a different person: he died on 24 October 2023, as reported by the Archdiocese of Gniezno. The priest associated with TV Trwam is the Salesian who died on Wednesday.