Gocki, Anthony J. (1900-87)

An inspiration within the church and in the community at large, Monsignor Anthony J. Gocki was born in North Dakota in 1900. Settling with his family in Cedoux, Saskatchewan, Gocki later studied classics and philosophy in Michigan and theology in Montreal. Ordained as a priest in 1922, he worked in Moose Jaw and Candiac before coming to Regina in 1931. Gocki founded St. Anthony’s, the city’s first Polish-speaking Roman Catholic parish, and later established Camp Monahan in the Qu’Appelle Valley. Fluent in Polish and other Slavic languages, he helped recent immigrants adapt to life in Canada. Gocki was a proponent of physical activity and he served as an advisor on fitness and recreation to premiers T.C. Douglas, Woodrow Lloyd, and Allan Blakeney. For his tireless dedication to all people, Monsignor Gocki was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1975. He died on June 4, 1987.

Canadian Plains Research Center