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Important News from Fr Ed About Our Lady of the Wayside Parish!!

Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of the Wayside Parish,

I am writing this bulletin article to inform you that this is my last year at Our Lady of the Wayside Parish. The reasons are practical. The last 4 years our Archdiocese has been involved in a process entitled Renew My Church.

The goal of this initiative is to combine resources whenever possible, become more effective and enhance the spiritual life of the faith communities. In some areas of the Archdiocese where the Catholic population is low, parishes are closed and combined or merged for the stability of the surviving faith communities. Parishes are grouped together along lines of commonality, language, culture, location etc. Our grouping is 5 parishes in our area:   Saint Colette, OLW, Saint James, Saint Edna and Saint Mary/Buffalo Grove.  Because our grouping is so large there are 2 sub groupings. Saint Colette, OLW and Saint James, as one sub grouping and the other is Saint Edna and Saint Mary. Our grouping will be activated in the summer of 2022.

Because I will be retiring in the summer of 2022, the same time as the grouping activation begins, it is in the best interest of Our Lady of the Wayside Parish for me to leave after this Fiscal Year and seek reassignment. In this way a new pastor can be assigned, have 2 full years to learn about OLW and be ready to begin the litany of meetings and discussions that are essential for the activation process.  If I stay until retirement, I would be leaving as the activation process begins.

I am making this announcement now so that priests who are discerning to be pastor next year are aware of the pastorate opening at OLW as early as possible. There will be more information in our various avenues of communication about the Pastor Selection Process. The Parish Consultation with The Archdiocesan Priests’ Placement Board and Bishop Alberto Rojas will be Wednesday, November 6 at 7 pm in the church. Please watch for more details.

Let us pray for one another during this time of transition and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we move forward together.

God Bless,
Father Ed Fialkowski, Pastor

P.S. –  Subsequent to Fr Ed’s bulletin article being printed but before the weekend, the Archdiocese has announced that, in deference to ongoing health considerations, Fr Ed’s retirement as pastor of OLW would be accelerated to be, officially, Thursday, September 12th, 2019. 

Plans are being made for a Parish Administrator to be appointed and Fr Ed will begin the process of finding an Associate Pastor position at another parish. 

Stay tuned for further news and developments and please keep Fr Ed and our parish in your prayers!