Deacon Lawrence Klimecki, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Sacramento in 2008, died on April 26. He was 62. He served the diocese for nearly 15 years at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Sacramento.
Bishop Jaime Soto will preside at a funeral Mass for Deacon Klimecki on Thursday, May 18 at 9:30 a.m. in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, located at 1017 11th St. in Sacramento. The rite of committal will follow at 12 p.m. at Calvary Cemetery and Funeral Center, at 7101 Verner Ave. in Citrus Heights.
The vigil for Deacon Klimecki will be held on Wednesday, May 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Presentation Church, 4123 Robertson Ave. in Sacramento.
He is survived by his wife AnNita, and a son.
His parish, Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, includes this biography:
"Since his ordination in 2008, Deacon Klimecki has used his background in art and design to encourage people to use their gifts to build the kingdom of God, speaking to the artist that lies buried deep within each one of us. Through stories that are more like modern day parables, he connects the ancient teachings of Christ with the realities of the modern world, encouraging his listeners to strive to make their entire lives a work of art dedicated to God."
"I am passionate about helping people understand the gifts that God has given to them are for them to use in his service, building up the kingdom," Deacon Klimecki said. "This particularly applies to artists and those blessed with creativity, which is to say, all of us. I speak on those areas where art intersects faith."
He established the Catholic Artist's Guild to give an online presence to the many visual artists struggling to have their work seen by a larger audience, and was a regular contributor to Smallpax, the Catholic Illustrator's Guild. His work was featured in the first national tour sponsored by the Foundation for Sacred Art, and his clients included Paulist Press, Liturgy Training Publications and EWTN.
His past talks included topics such as "Art and Ecumenism," "The Icon -- it's History and Meaning," "The Development of Christian Art," and "Liturgical Art in the Modern World."