Fr. Michael Skluzacek is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He was ordained in 1980 and has served in various capacities in parishes and seminaries. He served as pastor for 27 years in four parishes in the Archdiocese: St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater, St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, and Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. He also served in seminary formation three times: first, at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul as a spiritual director. Then he served at The American College in Louvain, Belgium, as Director of Spiritual Formation. As a final assignment, he served at The Saint Paul Seminary as Director of Pastoral Formation and as a formator. During his four pastorates, Fr. Skluzacek worked with fourteen associate priests. In most of his parish assignments, Fr. Skluzacek had a Catholic school. He appreciates Catholic education as a privileged opportunity to form young people into disciples of Jesus Christ. In retirement, Fr. Skluzacek continues to mentor young priests and do spiritual direction for seminarians. He assists in parishes with Mass and confessions, leads pilgrimages, and gives parish missions and retreats. He enjoys hiking, kayaking, and travelling. He grew up on a farm in a Czech-American community in Lonsdale, Minnesota (near New Prague), and treasures his Czech ancestry and heritage.