Service and Justice Co-ordinator named

By JEFF GRAHAM

After reading the curriculum vitae of Chris Radziminski it’s easy to understand why the Archdiocese of Vancouver hired him as the first Co-ordinator of the Office of Service and Justice. A native of Vancouver, Radziminski first began to make a name for himself in 2000, when he was asked to be supervisor of operations for World Youth Day 2002. The operations department was one of the largest and most complex of World Youth Day.

Chris Radziminski

While doing his work organizing the event, he rubbed shoulders with international dignitaries, local politicians, and was even invited to stay with Pope John Paul II at Castel Gandolfo to discuss preparations. Father Tom Rosica, CSB, who knew Chris from his time as pastor and executive director of the Newman Centre and Catholic Mission at the University of Toronto, said Radziminski consistently displayed his poise, wisdom, and competence as he carried out his duties.

“For nearly three years, from 2000 to 2003, I worked with Chris on a daily basis in a very active, high-powered environment,” said Father Rosica.

“Throughout the entire adventure, which tried and tested all of us on numerous occasions, Chris remained calm and never lost the larger picture of things. What shone forth through everything was his crystal clear faith, sterling commitment, and love of the Holy Father and the Church.”

Prior to helping organize World Youth Day, Radziminski had been

Radziminski has been on crusade for clean H2O

undertaking graduate studies in water purification at the U of T. Radziminski had distinguished himself while studying for the U of T, and in 2004 he was awarded a scholarship from the Vatican which allowed him to pursue a research project on the town of Wiarton, Ont.

His work in the town of 2,400 first garnered him national attention when in 2003 when he uncovered a tainted-water scandal which involved the University of Toronto. The scandal involved falsifying Radziminski’s research on an experiment that substituted chlorine for chlorine dioxide in the Wiarton water treatment plant.

The U of T had claimed that using chlorine dioxide for water purification was effective and safe, when in reality, Radziminski’s research found the use of chlorine dioxide made the water so toxic that it was killing pets, making residents ill, and even destroying clothing.

The scandal eventually resulted in Radziminski retaining the help of the Canadian Federation of Students, who provided him with aid for his legal battles with the university.

Radziminski went on to join the Greater Vancouver Regional District to work in water purification. However, he again felt inspired to use his talents for the greater good of humanity, and travelled to Uganda to work in a small village to help locals obtain clean water. While in Africa, he saw an opportunity he couldn’t pass up and applied to be Co-ordinator of the Office of Service and Justice.

During the interviews Radziminsky made it clear he would not be able to start with the archdiocese until the middle of September, but the committee doing the hiring felt that he would be worth the wait.

Father Rosica feels the same way. He explained that Radziminski’s presence in Africa demonstrates his love for God and his fellow man, and explained that his desire to serve in social justice flows from a deep faith in Jesus Christ.

“Now, more than ever, those involved in the areas of social justice must be deeply grounded in the teachings of the Church and the experience of the world Church. It is not political ideology but love of God, Jesus, and the Church that guarantees true salvation, justice, and peace.

“I can assure you that Chris is not just an admirer of Jesus Christ, but a lover, friend, and disciple of the Lord.”