Father Daniel Fallon, pastor of St. Cornelius Parish, accepts the gifts after couples renewed their vows at the second annual “Marriage Renewal Mass" Feb. 13. (Karen Callaway / Catholic New World)
He is: Father Daniel Fallon, pastor of St. Cornelius Parish in Jefferson Park. Former pastor of Our Lady Mother of the Church on the Northwest Side. Raised in Divine Savior Parish in Norridge, he attended Quigley and Niles, and was ordained at Mundelein in 1976. As a youngster: “I spent many an hour gluing parts of model airplanes together. Ernie Banks was big, and when the ’69 Cubs died, we all died.” Thanks to having a farmer or two in his Italian background, he enjoyed gardening as a kid, and still does. He has two sisters and a younger brother. His dad died six months after his ordination and then Mom went to work outside the home. The call: “I felt the call to priesthood in grade school. My parents and the whole family were involved in serving the church.” He was an altar boy, sang in the choir and was a sacristan. “Father Jim Doyle was a newly ordained priest at Divine Savior. I knew him there. Then when I got to Mundelein he was a teacher, and remembered me. He became my spiritual director.” Life as pastor: “It’s a whole lot different from being an associate where you can offer opinions and work with the pastor, but you’re not the deer in the headlights, so to speak. “There’s a load of responsibility making the ultimate decisions, although I share that with my pastoral staff. As an associate I never had any problem spending money. As a pastor you are looking at a much bigger picture.” Prayer: “For years I’ve settled into a routine of saying the Divine Office at certain hours. It can get a little strange because you find yourself running in different directions. But if you take prayer away, you really take the pastor away. You might be a CEO but you’re not a pastor. There has to be that prayerfulness or the whole structure comes tumbling down. “A bunch of us decided to start a prayer group when I was at St. Pascal’s. That group has remained intact and we go up to Lake Geneva for a retreat two or three times a year.” Day off/leisure: “Easier said than done. You don’t get days off very much. You try. I won’t schedule meetings on my day off. “I like to cook — my Italian mother was a very good cook and made sure all of us knew how to take care of ourselves in the kitchen.” He has an extensive cookbook collection. “I try new things, see if recipes work or not — Italian, French, American.” He likes to barbecue. “I still have my father’s grill. It’s hanging in there after all these years.” Reading: “Most is pertinent to my ministry — liturgy is my favorite area.” Favorite saints: “My confirmation saint is Vincent de Paul so he’d be an influence. St. Anthony hears a lot from me over and over again — everybody loses stuff. And I’ve always had a devotion to the Blessed Mother.” Motto: “‘With God all things are possible.’( Mt 19:26) In other words, never say ‘never’ to God.”