By Catholic Philly Staff Report • Posted September 14, 2023

Reverend Timothy Tarnacki, O.S.P.P.E. has been named the Director of the Office for Ministry with Young Adults (OMYA) by Archbishop Nelson Pérez, according to a September 14 announcement.

In making this appointment, Archbishop Pérez said, “I ask the people of our local Church to join me in prayerfully congratulating Father Tarnacki as he prepares to assume his new role. I know that he will help young adults encounter the transformative love of Jesus and inspire them to live a joyful life as a missionary disciple.”

“The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is home to a vibrant and passionate young adult community,” Archbishop added. “Over the past several years, the Office for Ministry with Young Adults has worked with great zeal to build a spiritual formation program that engages young men and women from various backgrounds as they work to develop an authentic relationship with Christ.”

The OMYA is part of the Office for Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults. It was established by Archbishop Pérez in July 2020 to engage and accompany young adults as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) broadly defines young adults as people aged 19-39 who are single, married, divorced, widowed, in college, working, unemployed, incarcerated, or in military service.

“I have deep gratitude to Matt Davis, the first director of the OMYA and the amazing work he has done by establishing the office as a multi-cultural outreach and furthering the culture of World Youth Day in the Archdiocese,” said Reverend Stephen P. DeLacy, Vicar for Faith Formation with Youth and Young Adults. “Father is a good and faithful priest.  He brings gifts to the office regarding evangelization, Missionary Discipleship formation and pastoral care to the young adults of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.”

Reverend Timothy Tarnacki, O.S.P.P.E. is a priest of the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit, also known as Pauline Fathers and Brothers. He was born in Poland and immigrated with his family to the United States at the age of 12.  He grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, and joined the Paulines by starting his postulancy after graduating high school in 2008.

Father Tarnacki attended the Pauline Seminary and the Pontifical University of Saint John Paul II in Krakow, Poland. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Theology, specializing in Biblical Exegesis. He made his final religious vows in 2015 at the Marian Shrine in Czestochowa, Poland. Most Reverend Andrzej Zglejszewski, Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre, ordained him to the priesthood in 2016 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown (Bucks County).

Following ordination, Father Tarnacki began ministering at the Shrine. Since that time, he has been particularly involved with the Shrine’s youth and young adult ministry, being the co-founder of Czestochowa Young Adults (CYA) Group. He has also served in various capacities including Shrine media coordinator; chaplain and theology teacher for the Shrine’s homeschooling community; coordinator of lector and altar servers’ groups; and more.

Father Tarnacki also serves as Vocation Director for the American Province of his religious community and a member of the Pastoral Council of the Order. He previously served as a chaplain at Holy Family University in Philadelphia.

Father Tarnacki is a doctoral candidate at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., working on the Doctor of Ministry Degree, specializing in evangelization.