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Parish General – Installation of Father Mike Solazzo as Pastor of Saint Tarcissus
September 10, 2011
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Dear Friends,
Where do I begin to say thank you for making my installation such a wonderful event? Both the Mass and reception following it were just great and made me feel most welcomed to be here as your new pastor. I will start by thanking Bishop Kane for presiding at the Mass. While it is both customary and required that the Bishop install a new pastor, it is even more special when that Bishop also happens to be your friend. I have had the privilege and honor to know Bishop Kane and work with him since 2000, even before he became an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago. When I returned to Chicago last February, I asked him to keep me in his Vicariate so that I could continue to work with him because I admired him and valued his friendship. And I am grateful that he agreed.
I want to thank all who were involved in helping with the liturgy, the music, the flowers, the environment, made it all so very special. A most heartfelt thank you to our parish SPRED group who presented the gifts and helped prepare the altar at the Mass; a very special touch by a most special group of people close to my heart. Many thanks to all who were helped with the reception, the Parish Council, the Holy Name Society, the School community, the Religious Education Program, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, the Stewardship Committee, the Golden Hours Group and all who donated baked goods, including my friends at Misericordia Home who provided the heart-shaped brownies from their bakery, to the Lyons’ for the Eli’s cheesecakes, to Phil’s Pizza, Harrington’s, and Lone Tree for all the wonderful ethnic food. I could not have asked for anything better and certainly did not expect so much. Many thanks to all the parishioners who sent cards, gifts and kind wishes. Finally, I want to thank our Parish Council, Parish Finance Committee and Parish Staff for the generous and thoughtful gift of a brick bearing my name to be placed in the parish Prayer Garden. I am deeply touched by that gesture.
Now you have set the bar pretty high so I will do my best to meet your expectations and try to be the kind of pastor you deserve. And while it is true that the pastor sets the tone for a parish, it is important for us all to remember that it is really Christ who pastors the parish and pastors us all. So under His guidance, with His wisdom and compassion, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, how can we go wrong? I look forward to many fruitful years of service with all of you here at St. Tarcissus.
With deep gratitude,
Fr. Mike Solazzo
