聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 A man who has spent several years as a youth missionary and who was ordained a priest this summer, arrived in Kamsack this summer to begin serving the district鈥檚 Ukrainian Catholic parishioners.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Rev. Warren Dungen, who was ordained a deacon on January 8 in Ottawa, was ordained a priest on July 20 at the Cathedral of St. George in Saskatoon by Bishop Bryan Bayda.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Succeeding Rev. Ivan Derkach, Dungen came to Kamsack this summer and began working from the St. Josaphat鈥檚 Ukrainian Catholic Church on August 2.
He arrived with his wife Lori-Lou, and with three of the couple鈥檚 four sons: Andrew, 15, a Grade 10 student; James, 13, in Grade 8, and John, 11, Grade 6. Their eldest son Peter, 18, has moved to Prince Albert where he has started work with a Forbes Brothers powerline crew.
Dungen and his family had spent the previous three years in Ottawa where he was attending the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Seminary.
Born in Edmonton and raised in Calgary, the son of a banker, Dungen lived in several locations throughout his youth, including Toronto and Medicine Hat. He graduated from St. Francis High School in Calgary in 1988 and then was hired for several jobs including as a banker, butcher and beekeeper.
鈥淵ou could add candlestick maker to that,鈥� he said, referring to beeswax.
Dungen spent five years in missionary work with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate which was based in St. Albert, Alta. and worked on obtaining his bachelor of arts degree from Concordia University of Alberta in Edmonton. He also worked in Mission, B.C. in a program operated by Benedictine monks. In 1993 he served his 鈥渘ovitiate year鈥� in Godfrey, Ill. and then returned to St. Albert when he 鈥渇elt called to serve the church,鈥� particularly its youth.
聽Because he did not feel he had the 鈥済race of celibacy,鈥� Dungen left the oblates in good standing and moved to Calgary where he became involved in youth ministry and worked for the Roman Catholic diocese of Calgary and was active in St. Michael鈥檚 parish doing youth work.
He married Lori-Lou, his best friend鈥檚 sister, and the couple moved to Alexandria Louisiana, where he was a director of youth ministry. Three years later they moved to Alabama where he worked as the youth minister in the Archdiocese of Mobile.
Returning to Canada, Dugen discovered that the cost of living in Calgary had doubled, so in 2003, the couple moved to Prince Albert, where former Kamsack priest Rev. Ivan Nahachewsky was his parish priest.
Dugan explained that although he had been raised a Roman Catholic, upon his marriage he had switched rites to be a Byzantine Catholic, like his wife, in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
In Ottawa, Dungan attended the University of St. Paul where he obtained his master of divinity degree in Eastern Christian studies.
While living in Kamsack, Dungen will be serving the congregations at Vesna, Madge Lake, Dneiper, Glen Elder, Ponass Lake, Swan Plain, Rose Valley, Wadena, Benito and Swan River.
鈥淪askatchewan has always been my home,鈥� he said. 鈥淒uring my time in Ottawa, I couldn鈥檛 wait to return to Saskatchewan.
鈥淜amsack and area will be perfect for the family,鈥� he said, adding that he is looking forward to 小蓝视频 able to spend quality time with his family.
鈥淲hile here, our boys are eager to hunt and do outdoor stuff.
鈥淭here鈥檚 something about Saskatchewan people that we love,鈥� he said. 鈥淚s it that they鈥檙e down to earth?
鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to a routine,鈥� he said, explaining that the parish council had done much for their arrival and members were very helpful with the unloading of their container of possessions.
In addition to 小蓝视频 a priest, husband and father, Dungan said he loves to cook and explore his creative side. He enjoys movies, calls himself a 鈥渢echy鈥� and says he loves to fish.
