Your pastor, Fr. Benedykt, and I spent four years together at St. John the Evangelist in Streamwood.  He was the Associate and I was the pastor. But now, after having been a pastor for 24 years, I felt it was time to let go of the responsibilities that this entails.

I grew up near Wrigley Field and attended many a game with my father hoping that the Cubs would be in the World Series. At the same time, my father and I occasionally attended White Sox games at old Comiskey Park.  1959 was a special year when they were in the World Series.  Of course, 2005 is even more special since they won the World Series. Let’s hope we see a Crosstown Series someday if not this year.

After I was seven years old, my parents moved to St. Ferdinand Parish near Belmont and Austin Avenues where I basically grew up.  After telling my parents that I wanted to be a priest, I attended Quigley North, Niles College of Loyola and Mundelein Seminaries.  After being ordained in 1972, I was first assigned to St. Thomas Becket in Mt. Prospect for five years until being sent to Holy Trinity at the Medical Center in Chicago. Afterwards, I was assigned to St. Peter’s in Antioch for six years.  I loved the small town atmosphere especially since I had been a city boy all my life. Afterwards, I went on sabbatical for 6 months to study in Boston at the Weston School of Theology and then was assigned briefly to St. Theresa Parish in Palatine.  In 1992, I was made pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Streamwood for eighteen years and later I became pastor of St. Joseph in Wilmette for six years. This journey then brought me to you and I look forward to my new adventure with you at St. Bernadette.