When Bishop Hicks called me and told me that I would be the new pastor of St. Dennis and St. Joseph in Lockport as of July 1, I felt a sense of relief, because I had been praying for an assignment with a school. During my twelve years as pastor of St. Michael Parish in Wheaton, I was privileged to see the school flourish and become the largest elementary school in our diocese. It has become a great source of joy for me. Yes, with 572 students, at times things can get a little hectic, but when they gather in the church to “sing joyfully to the Lord” (Psalm 95:1), it truly IS a joyful experience! I very much appreciate the opportunity to help form our children into disciples of Jesus; to witness their energy, enthusiasm, innocence, and openness to learning.
I feel a certain kinship with Lockport, inasmuch as my dad grew up in Fairmont, just to the south. His dad, born in 1890, settled here during the Great Depression and raised six children. I had several aunts and uncles in Lockport whom we would visit regularly when I was young, and we would occasionally have family gatherings at Dellwood Park.
Aside from being Pastor at St. Michael in Wheaton, my previous assignments include St. Paul the Apostle in Peotone, St. Patrick in Wilton Center (south of Manhattan), St. Mary Immaculate in Plainfield, and Sacred Heart in Lombard.
I grew up, the fifth of six children, in Will County just outside of Manhattan — next to the farm where my maternal grandfather earned his living with crops and livestock, plowing the ground in his early years with a team of horses. My mom still remembers the day that they finally got electricity!
When my grandfather retired from farming in 1967, my dad tore down our old barn and had a new house erected on the site. His mom moved into the farmhouse we vacated, and my other grandparents built a house about 90 feet to the other side our new house. I gained an invaluable perspective from my grandparents, hearing many tales of their struggles, always being reminded by my grandfather of how grateful we should be for the blessings we enjoyed.
My younger brother and I, while still in high school, began raising hogs, and continued for 18 years, feeding about 10,000 hogs a year by the time I entered the seminary. I’ve often said that I got used to long hours and low pay, so the priesthood seemed a logical next step!
I am looking forward to sharing with you the Good News of our Lord’s victory over sin and death, and being an instrument of Jesus Christ to continue His work of healing and forgiveness through the awesome power of the sacraments for the good people of Lockport!