Rev. Paul Joseph Breza, 87, Winona
Rev. Paul J. Breza, age 87, of Winona, died peacefully at Valley View Healthcare in Houston, Minn., on April 7, 2025.
He was born June 23, 1937, in Winona to Joseph and Alice (Pehler) Breza. Father attended St. Stanislaus Grade School and Cotter High School, Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona from 1955-1959, and Saint Paul Seminary in Saint Paul from 1959-1963. He was ordained at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona on June 1, 1963.
Father sometimes declared “I love to work.” He loved to walk into the bluffs, hunting or not. He loved to row himself and his father to the places on the Mississippi where they knew the fish would bite.
He worked as an assistant and pastor, grade school and high school religion teacher across the Diocese: St. Stans-Winona, St. Columbanus-Blooming Prairie, Pacelli High School-Austin, St Francis of Assisi and Lourdes High School-Rochester, St. John the Baptist and Loyola/Good Counsel -Mankato, Chaplain, St. Mary’s College-Winona, St. Anthony-Altura, St. Aloysius-Elba, St. Peter-Hokah, St. Patrick-Brownsville, Cathedral-of the Sacred Heart-Winona and St. Joachim - Plainview.
For several years he sponsored “truck trips” that allowed his students to travel for $1 a day for gas and $1 a day for food. Those stories are still being shared.
He loved his childhood community in the East End of Winona, singing in the Polish Choir with his mother. (Where he also said his first Mass and was first assigned.) As the first and second generations from Poland began to age, he started to collect their stories and, with his mother, he wrote a Kashubian Language Dictionary. He organized a celebration of Polish Heritage to address the painful aspects of immigration and bias that many experienced. These efforts evolved into the Polish Museum, as well as a student exchange program with our Sister City, Bytow Poland.
The city of Bytow took the rare step of making him an Honorary Citizen. He treasured his friends there.
In the same years he began to collect artifacts and photos of parishes that were closed. He understood that many parishioners treasured their parish and considered it "home.” This evolved into a collection of religious articles from across the Diocese that he displayed for education, and he sent some back to parishes. Perhaps his favorite work was the care of his apple orchard. In all these endeavors he recruited so many of us to volunteer and enjoy. And in this way, he expanded his pastoral care.
In recent years he was less able physically and he mourned his ability to work hard but appreciated the home care he received right in his orchard and treasured the many visitors. He enjoyed gifts from gardens, fishing trips and baking; mostly treasuring the stories of former students and parishioners. The family is grateful for the kind and expert care he received at Valley View Health Care and Rehab in Houston, Minn., for the last week of his life.
He is survived by his nieces and nephews, David Mrozek, Paula (Roger) Sandsness, Gary (Linda) Mrozek, Joe (Doreen) Mrozek, Maureen (Steve) Alms, Tom Mrozek, Russell Rice and Ted Rice; and many great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Teresa (Robert) Mrozek and Marianne (Don) Rice Morrison; and brother, Thomas Breza.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, at St. Stanislaus Basilica, 625 E. 4th St., Winona, with the Most Rev. Robert E. Barron, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester celebrating with the priests of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester concelebrating.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. before the service at the church. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Winona. The funeral will be livestreamed on McCormick Funeral Service, Caledonia, Facebook page.
Suggested memorial donations to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester so that his brother priests would know he did not forget them and of course to the Polish Museum.
Condolences may be sent to: Father Paul Breza, McCormick Funeral Home, 205 E. Main St., Caledonia, MN 55921.Online condolences may be given at mccormickfuneralhome.net.