Fr. Andrzej (Andrew) was born December 3, 1954 to Franciszek and Maria Wojtan in Warsaw, Poland. He is the eldest of three children; Anna resides in Warsaw, but his youngest sister, Maria, died in France in 2009.

In 1978, Fr. Andrew earned his Master's Degree in Engineering from Technische Hochschule in Chemnitz, Germany. Later that year, he entered the Diocesan Seminary of Warsaw and began studying philosophy and theology. He completed his Master’s degree in moral theology. On May 29, 1983, Fr. Andrew was ordained a priest by Cardinal Glemp in Warsaw, Poland.

As a newly ordained priest, Fr. Andrew began serving the Diocese of Warsaw as an assistant priest in the village of Domaniewice, and later in the town of Sochaczew. Three years after ordination, Fr. Andrew began preparing for missionary work.

In 1987 he traveled to Central Africa to began serving the people in the Diocese of Mbala in Zambia as a Fidei Donum priest. In 1992, Fr. Wojtan began serving as a pastor in Mpulungu, Zambia. He returned to Poland in November 1994.

Beginning February 1995, Fr. Andrew provided pastoral assistance in the Diocese of Munster in Germany. In November 1995, he continued his missionary work serving the people in the Diocese of Kimberley in South Africa. In November 1996, he became a pastor in Kuruman (Kalahari Desert) and was responsible for pastoral service in nine parishes. In 2002, Fr. Andrew was selected to serve as a dean of the Kuruman Deanery.

In 2003, Fr. Andrew returned to Warsaw with health problems--malaria. After his health improved, Fr. Wojtan continued providing missionary work through the Pontifical Mission Societies.

Fr. Andrew arrived in the United States in November 2004. He began serving the people in the Diocese of Orlando as a parochial vicar at St. Isaac Jogues parish in Orlando. On February 1, 2006, Fr Wojtan was transferred to St. James Cathedral.

Bishop Thomas Wenski announced that Fr. Andrew Wojtan was assigned as Parochial Administrator to Holy Spirit parish in Mims, effective January 4, 2008.
Fr. Andrew speaks five languages--Polish, German, Cibemba (Zambia), Setswana (South Africa) and English. He practices the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius. He also enjoys working on his computer and playing guitar.

This biography was adapted from “Jubilee,” St. James Cathedral’s newsletter, Lent 2006. The article was written by Barbara Tyrlik.