Fr. Derek Sakowski

Fr. Derek Sakowski was ordained in 2003 as a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse, WI. He taught high school for five years, spent four years in Rome to receive a Licentiate and Doctorate in Ecclesiology, and then eleven years as Pastor of St. Mary’s and St. Raymond’s parishes. Since 2023, he has been the Director of the Rebuild My Church Initiative for his diocese. The first two years focused on increasing human integration resources for priests. Now he is now guiding the diocese through a process of pastoral planning at the service of a culture of discipleship and accompaniment. Fr. Derek has been engaging his own human integration diligently since 2017. He has undergone several trainings in the area of addictions and trauma  – all of which emphasize the principle that you cannot accompany others any further than you yourself have been willing to go. He enjoys hiking, nature, nerdy board games, and deep conversations. He’s a sucker for 80’s nostalgia, and loves the TV series Psych.