Diocese of Gary
Bishop's Office

Bishop Dale J. Melczek was born in Detroit, Michigan.  He was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1964.  On December 3, 1982, Pope John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit.  He was ordained bishop on January 27, 1983.  In 1987, he was the director of the papal visit to Detroit.  On August 19, 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Melczek to the Diocese of Gary.

Bishop Melczek has served the United States Catholic Bishops as a member of the Human Values Committee, the Nominations Committee, the Committee on the Diaconate, the Committee on Marriage and the Family, the Agenda Committee, the Budget and Finance Committee, the Religious Life and Ministry Committee, the Committee on Social Development and World Peace, International Policy, the Administrative Board of the USCCB, the Ad Hoc Committee for Central and Eastern Europe, and the Committee on Economic Concerns of the Holy See.  He chaired the Bishops’ Committee on the Diaconate as well as the Nominations Committee.  From November 2002 to November 2005, Bishop Melczek served as Chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on the Laity.

Bishop Melczek presently serves as a member of the Joint Committee of Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bishops.  He served as episcopal liaison to the National Association of Catholic Chaplains from 2002-2007.

In November 1996, Bishop Melczek was elected to the Board of Catholic Relief Services.  In August 1997, he spent two weeks in the Philippines, and during the summer of 1998, he visited Myanmar and Cambodia.  From June 29 to July 11, 1999, Bishop Melczek visited the Catholic Relief Services’ projects in Indonesia; from August 6 to 16, 2000, he visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo Brazzaville; from June 24 to July 2, 2001, he visited Angola; and from June 20 to 26, 2002, he visited Tanzania.  Each trip was on behalf of CRS.

In 2002, Bishop Melczek began to address the sin of racism in Northwest Indiana as a major priority with his first Pastoral Letter, “The Many Faces of Our Church:  a Pastoral Letter on Cultural Diversity.”  In the parish-based discussions that followed the issuance of the Letter, Catholics came together to examine the contributions of their diverse cultures to the Church and to society.  The following year, Bishop Melczek wrote his Pastoral Letter “Created in God’s Image:  a Pastoral Letter on the Sin of Racism and a Call to Conversion.”  This second Letter was also discussed in parish-based small faith-sharing groups.  These were followed with Listening Sessions in four areas of the diocese and with a Rite of Atonement in the Cathedral.

Bishop Melczek co-chaired the Race Relations Council of Northwest Indiana from 2002-2007.

 
Father Jon J. Plavcan was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on October 18, 1964. His parents are John G. and Janet (Liebler) Plavcan. He has two sisters, one who is an emergency room nurse and the other is an engineer.

Father Jon was ordained to the Priesthood on June 4, 1994 by Bishop Dale J. Melczek at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary, Indiana, after attending Sacred Heart School, Erie; Saint Mark Seminary, Erie; Gannon University, Erie and Saint Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He was Salutatorian of his High School class of 1983. He earned his B.A. in Arts and Humanities in 1987 from Gannon University and a Master of Divinity (Cum Laude) from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1993. In August 2000, Father Jon earned a Master in Theology (Liturgical Studies) from the University of Notre Dame.

Father Plavcan was invited by Bishop Norbert F. Gaughan to study for the Diocese of Gary in 1989.

Upon ordination, Father Jon Plavcan was assigned to Saint Mary, Griffith, Indiana with teaching responsibilities at Bishop Noll Institute. He was then assigned as temporary administrator to the Cathedral of the Holy Angles and then to Saint Mark in Glen Park. In 1997, he was assigned to Saint Thomas More, Munster and also weekend help at Saint Michael, Schererville. He was then assigned to Saint John the Evangelist, St. John. On July 1, 1999, he was assigned to Our Lady of Grace in Highland as an Associate Pastor. At this time he left his teaching position at Bishop Noll Institute. On July 1, 2000, Father Plavcan was appointed as Administrative Assistant to the Bishop.  On December 1, 2002, Father Plavcan was appointed Temporary Administrator at Assumption BVM Parish in New Chicago (Hobart) Indiana where he currently serves in addition to his responsibilities at the Diocese.  In March 2006, he was appointed Administrator of Saint Francis Xavier Parish in Lake Station.  On July 1, 2007, Father Plavcan was appointed Rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Angels with Pastoral responsibilities to the Cathedral Parish.  He continues his various responsibilities at the Diocese.

Father Jon Plavcan has served the Diocese as Bishop Melczek’s Master of Ceremonies for Confirmation since 1995. He coordinated the Confirmation Liturgies at the Cathedral for the Jubilee celebration in 2000.

Father Jon also has served as Master of Ceremonies for the Pro Nuncio and Arch Abbott Douglas Nowicki.

Father Jon serves as a Board Member for the National Catholic Risk Retention Group.   He serves on the Board of Governors for National Catholic Services, LLC.  He also serves in Region VII of the National Federation of Liturgical Commissions.   In 2003, he served on the Formation Committee for the Bishops' Plan Insurance Company.

He comes to the Diocese of Gary with a varied background of music, theater, public speaking and artistic background. He has received numerous awards for character, academic and for job related situations.

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