Reverend Father Raymond Borkowski, OFM Conv.

Pastor of Saint John Church

Father Raymond  was born in Scranton Pennsylvania, and attended the local catholic schools. In 1953 he entered the Franciscan Order and made his first profession of vows as a friar during the following year. He received his Bachelor's degree from St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY in 1958 and continued his studies for the priesthood at the Pontifical Faculty of St. Bonaventure (Seraphicum) in Rome. In 1962 he received the Licentiate in Sacred Theology. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 23, 1961 by Archbishop Philip Pocci in the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles, Rome, Italy. He later was awarded the Master’s Degree in Education from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.
Upon his return to the United States Fr. Raymond served in the following ministries: 1962 - faculty member at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Tonawanda, N.Y.; 1967-facultymember and Spiritual Director at St. Hyacinth College and Seminary in Granby, Massachusetts; 1971 Assistant Novice Director at St. Joseph Cupertino Novitiate in Ellicott City, Maryland and then as Vocation Director for the St. Anthony of Padua Province of Franciscan Friars; 1979 - St. Hyacinth College and Seminary as Guardian of the religious community and as Director of Student Friars; 1985 Pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish in Trenton, New Jersey.
Following the Provincial Chapter of 1988 Fr. Raymond joined the Franciscan Mission in Ghana (West Africa) where he served on the faculty of St. Paul’s Regional Seminary in Accra and as Guardian of the Friars at St. Bonaventure Friary and Director of student Friars. While in Ghana He also founded a new parish at Awoshie, Accra served in a prison ministry, and chaplain to the Poor Clare Nuns. In 1996 Fr. Raymond returned to the United States and was appointed to serve as Pastor of St. John Parish in Cromwell.