Alfred Leo Abramowicz

Alfred Leo Abramowicz (January 27, 1919 – September 12, 1999) was an American prelate in the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois from 1968 to 1995.

Abramowicz was a strong advocate for Polish-Americans in the United States, the Catholic Church in Poland, and the Solidarity labor movement in Poland.

Biography

Early life Abramowicz was born in Chicago on January 27, 1919, the son of Polish immigrants. He first attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, then studied at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.

Priesthood Abramowicz was ordained a priest by Cardinal Samuel Stritch for the Archdiocese of Chicago in Chicago on May 1, 1943. After his ordination, Abramowicz was assigned as assistant pastor to Immaculate Conception Parish in South Chicago. In 1948, he was transferred to St. Helens Parish in Chicago. In 1949, he went to Rome to studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University, earning a Licentiate of Canon Law in 1952.

After returning to Chicago, Abramowicz became the resident priest at Holy Name Cathedral Parish. He was also appointed to the Marriage Tribunal for the archdiocese. In 1960, he was named executive director of the Catholic League for Religious Assistance to Poland, working as a principal US fund-raising and organizational contact for the Catholic Church in Poland and for the Polish Solidarity movement. In 1969, Abramowicz arranged the details for the visit of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, later Pope John Paul II, to the United States. In 2008, the archdiocese settled the lawsuit for $1.375 million.