Stanley Modrzyk (1945-2014) was an American Wiccan High Priest, Ceremonial Magician and spokesman on Wiccan matters.

Modrzyk was the founder of the First Temple of the Craft of W.I.C.A. He was also a founder of the Midwest Pagan Council and of the Pan Pagan Festival.

Ministry

In the 1970s, Modrzyk started conducting classes, holding media interviews and issuing press releases to counter misinformation about Wicca practices.

In September 1982, Modrzyk received a call from the Chicago Tribune for comment on the five Chicago suburbs that were doing witch burnings as part of their Halloween celebration. He spearheaded a movement to persuade official in those communities to end the practice.

In April, 2011 Modrzyk game a lecture entitled Wicca - aka Witchcraft, The Religion and performed a ritual at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.

First Temple of the Craft of W.I.C.A.

In 1970, Modrzyk founded the First Temple of the Craft of W.I.C.A. in Chicago. It is one of the five oldest, legally recognized Wiccan churches in the U.S.

First Temple traces its roots to the Temple of The Pagan Way (TPW) by way of the Calumet Pagan Temple. Originally a crossbreed of TPW rituals with ceremonial and qabbalistic influences, it has evolved over the last 40 years to be its own tradition. First Temple honors both the God and the Goddess. It celebrates the New Moon, the Full Moon, and the eight Festivals marked on the Wheel of Life.

Media Appearances

Bibliography

References