Clergy and Pastoral Staff
Pastoral Staff:
Fr. Ken Simpson, Administrator
After serving as a Deacon at St. James Parish in Highwood, Fr. Ken was ordained to the priesthood in 1978 by John Cardinal Cody. He was assigned as Associate Pastor to St. Michael Parish in Orland Park until being asked to join the faculty at Niles College Seminary of Loyola University. At Niles he taught Theology and served as Dean of Formation and Vice Rector. Expecting to return to a parish he was surprised to be asked to move into campus ministry as Director/Chaplain of the Sheil Catholic Center at Northwestern University. He stayed at Sheil for 15 years. On September 10, 2007, he began serving as the 8th Pastor of Saint Clement Parish. He holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Mundelien Seminary and a Masters in Spirituality from the University of San Francisco. Fr. Ken serves as the vicar for pastoral and professional development of priests (Archdiocese of Chicago) and administrator of Old Saint Patrick’s Church.
Administrative Assistant to Pastor:
Skye Darke
312.831.9377
skyed@oldstpats.org
In Residence:
Fr. John J. Wall
info@oldstpats.org
312.648.1021
A lifetime Chicagoan, Fr. Wall was ordained at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary on May 2, 1968, after receiving his MA, STL in Theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. From 1968 to 1972, Fr. Wall was the associate pastor of St. Ita’s Parish in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. He also served on the faculty of Niles College and the Seminary of Loyola University, from 1972 to 1979. In addition, Fr. Wall was the vocation director for the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1979 to 1985. In October 1983, Fr. Wall became pastor of Old St. Patrick’s Church, the second parish founded in the city of Chicago and the city’s oldest public building. Since taking on his role as pastor, Fr. Wall has successfully revitalized this urban church. He is now pastor emeritus of Old St. Patrick’s Church and president of the Catholic Extension Society. Father Wall continues to preside at Old St. Patrick’s Church.
Visiting Priests:
Fr. John Cusick
info@oldstpats.org
312.648.1021
Fr. Cusick, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago was ordained in 1970. After his ordination, he served as associate pastor of Mary, Seat of Wisdom Parish in Park Ridge, Illinois. From 1977 to 1985, he was a faculty member of Niles College of Loyola University, the college seminary program for the Archdiocese of Chicago. As a faculty member, he taught Theology, was a residence hall director, and for five years (1980 to 1985) was the director of recruitment and admissions for the college seminary. Since 1985, he has been the director of the Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago. He authored First Steps—a Guide to Encourage Young Men to Consider the Catholic Priesthood. He co-authored (along with his colleague, Kate DeVries) The Basic Guide to Young Adult Ministry. In May 2004, Governor Rod Blagojevich appointed Fr. John Cusick to the Executive Ethics Commission of the State of Illinois. Fr. Cusick regularly presides at Old St. Patrick’s Church Masses.
Fr. Ed Foley, OFM, CAP
info@oldstpats.org
312.648.1021
Fr. Edward Foley is the Duns Scotus Professor of Spirituality and Ordinary Professor of Liturgy and Music at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he was the founding Director of the Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry Program. He currently serves as the external examiner for the graduate program in chant and ritual song at the University of Limerick, Ireland. A member of the Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order since 1966, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1975. He preaches and presides at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago.
Fr. Pat McGrath, S.J.
info@oldstpats.org
312.648.1021
Rev. Pat McGrath has been a visiting priest at Old St. Pat’s since his ordination, which was held here on Saturday, July 29, 2006. He celebrated his first Mass at Old St. Pat’s on July 30, 2006 at the 9:30 a.m. service. In 2000, he entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and professed his perpetual vows in 2002. As a Jesuit, he has lived and worked in Detroit, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. His first assignment after his ordination was as a provincial assistant for Secondary Education, which allowed him to work with the five Jesuit high schools of the Chicago Province. In March 2009, Fr. McGrath was elected as the new president of Loyola Academy, Chicago.
Fr. Paul Novak, OSM
info@oldstpats.org
312.648.1021
Fr. Paul Novak, O.S.M. was ordained a Servite priest on May 26, 1990 at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica in Chicago. From 1990 to 1992 he served as associate pastor at St. Domitilla Church in Hillside. Fr. Novak was the vocation director for the Order of Friar Servants of Mary (Servites) from 1992 to 1994. In the fall of 1994, Fr. Novak joined the faculty of De La Salle Institute as the campus minister and religion teacher and served there until 2003 when he was elected assistant provincial for the Servite Friars. In August 2008, Fr. Paul Novak was appointed president of De La Salle Institute, Chicago. Fr. Novak regularly presides at Old St. Patrick’s Church Masses.
Fr. William (Bill) O’Shea
info@oldstpats.org
312.648.1021
Rev. William O’Shea has been a visiting priest for Old St. Pat’s Church since 2007. He was ordained on May 25, 1963 and celebrated his first Mass at his home parish, St. Philip Neri in South Shore, Chicago. He has known about Old St. Pat’s since the 1960’s when he would visit a classmate assigned here. Additionally, he was a classmate of Rev. Jack Wall and Rev. John Cusick in the Doctor of Ministry program facilitated by John Shea in the late 70’s.
For 44 years, he served as a priest in the Diocese of Joliet, teaching at both Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst, and Rosary College in River Forest. Most recently, he served for 14 years as pastor of St. Margaret Mary in Naperville, which was included in the list of 300 Excellent Catholic Parishes in the United States along with Old St. Pat’s. He feels fortunate to have been invited to celebrate the Sunday Eucharist at Old St. Pat’s.
Reverend Monsignor Kenneth Velo
info@oldstpats.org
312.648.1021
Monsignor Kenneth Velo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, serves as Senior Executive of Catholic Collaboration for DePaul University and as President of the Big Shoulders Fund. Monsignor was ordained in 1973 and appointed to St. Angela Parish in Chicago. In 1980, he was appointed to the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center. In the following years, he served in various administrative positions, including vice chancellor of the Archdiocese and executive assistant to Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. In November 1993, Monsignor Velo was named president of the Catholic Church Extension Society, a national organization which raises funds and awareness for Mission dioceses in the United States. In March of 1996, he was named Prelate of Honor of His Holiness with the title of Monsignor. In 2001, he began his responsibilities at DePaul University. At DePaul, Monsignor helps to extend the services of the university to the Catholic community and other entities. The Big Shoulders Fund, of which he serves as President, supports inner-city Catholic Schools in Chicago. This organization raises funds for inner-city Catholic schools. Monsignor enjoys serving in pastoral ministry at Old Saint Patrick Church in Chicago, Illinois.