ROCK FALLS—Even as he works to help Father Richard Russo become familiar with life at St. Andrew Parish, here, Msgr. Thomas Dzielak looks forward to his retirement. He will begin the new phase of his life June 20.
His initial plans are to live at and assist the people of St. Mary Parish in Maple Park, and of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Virgil.
At Bishop David Malloy’s request, he will continue in his role as spiritual advisor for the Rockford Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.
“Time goes fast, obviously, over the years,” he says. “I’ve had a lot of good people in my life because of that, both clergy and lay people. I’ve been in a number of good parishes, most of the time in the Sterling and Freeport deaneries.
Born in Rockford, Msgr. Dzielak attended St. Thomas High School there and Loras College in Dubuque.
He studied theology at North American College in Rome from 1960 to 1964 and was ordained by Bishop Filippo Pocci, auxiliary bishop of Rome, on Dec. 18, 1963, at the Church of Christ the King in Rome.
He completed his Licentiate of Sacred Theology in Rome in 1964, and later did post-graduate work to receive a master’s degree in religious education from Notre Dame in 1974.
He began his priestly service as a parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Sterling from 1964 to 1965, then served one year as parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in Amboy, and then in that position at St. James Parish in Belvidere for four years.
He then served on the faculty of Boylan Central Catholic High School in Rockford from June 1970 to June 1973. He was named a member of the diocesan Vocations Commission in 1971. From June 1973 until June 1976, he was director of religious education at Aquin Central Catholic High School in Freeport.
While pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Sterling from July 1976 to March 1978, Msgr. Dzielak was also director of religious education at Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling. He then became pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Freeport, serving there until July 1990. He became rector of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rockford from July 1990 to September 1995.
Following that, Msgr. Dzielak began service as pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Rock Falls, serving there until his upcoming retirement on June 20.
In July 2006, he also began service at St. Mary Parish in Tampico as its administrator. That term also will end with his retirement, as will his service as Vicar Forane (dean) of the Sterling Deanery that began in 2001.
From June 1990 to the present, Msgr. Dzielak provided spiritual direction for the Rockford Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. He served for a year as chaplain of the Rockford Serra Club from 1994 to 1995; was a member of the Diocesan Consultors from 1995 to 1999; associate director of Ecumenism from 1999 to 2001; and a member of the Diocesan Ecumenical Commission beginning in 2003. He began service as the diocesan exorcist in 2014 and as a parish priest consultor in 2015.
He also served with Marriage Encounter, Engaged Encounter, Clergy Relief Board, Presbyteral Council, Diocesan Council of Catholic Education and the Priests’ Personnel Board. He was the first Catholic priest to become president of the Greater Rockford Clergy Association.
Msgr. Dzielak was awarded the papal honor of Prelate of Honor, with the formal title of reverend monsignor, on Jan. 3, 1996.
“I’m thankful to God for the good things he’s done through me,” Msgr. Dzielak says. “I’ve been blessed with good health and good people to work with all the time. That’s a great blessing.”