Father Michael Novick, pastor of St. Lawrence O’Toole Parish in Matteson, is surrounded by his collection of Cubs, John Deere and Santa memorabilia in his office. (Karen Callaway / Catholic New World)
He is: Father Michael J. Novick, pastor of St. Lawrence O’Toole Parish in Matteson. Attended St. Christopher Grammar School, Midlothian; Marist High School, and has a degree in mathematics from Lewis University, Romeoville. Ordained at St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in 2001. Youth: “ Math was my best subject; it came naturally. I’ve followed baseball statistics all my life and learned the formulas -- batting averages, earned run averages for the pitchers and plate appearances -- what did this guy do against this pitcher, or this pitcher against this team. I used to look at the sports pages every morning for that stuff. “Dad was an insurance agent and was always good at math. When my brother and I were in high school Mom worked in an insurance office. My brother is in the insurance business, and I guess I am too, in a sense. I don’t look for policies, I just know it’s been ‘signed, sealed and delivered.’” Jobs before seminary: “I worked in warehousing on the receiving and shipping end for six years for two different retail companies. I never used my geometry and mathematical skills more than there.” Why? “The boxes were different sizes on one size pallet so you had to figure the weight and where to put them.” Vocation: “I’d always been involved in my parish from the time I was a young adult. While I was a minister to the sick, the Holy Spirit kept gnawing. People even came to me with their problems at my job. My parents were great examples, involved in church, and they made it important. (I wish more parents would do that for their children.) “Father Jim Presta was an associate at St. Christopher’s. He mentioned once when I was 17 or 18, ‘Until you have a ring on your finger from a significant other, don’t rule ‘it’ out.’ That stuck with me. I was on the verge of being a Christian Brother when I graduated from Lewis. It just so happened my dad had another health problem and it changed my focus, but the Holy Spirit kept guiding. “I know eight or nine young men now from 6th grade to college with whom I’ve been trying to foster a vocation. Talking is one thing, but you have to live the example. I try to show people it’s not a boring life. I have my personal motto on the wall: ‘Professional fun.’ Basically it means not every day is roses, but every day is worth it.” Math and pastoring: “I understand numbers and trends and when I see the weekly attendance barely making it to a certain level and the collection not following the trend we’re supposed to be having, it scares the daylights out of me.” Prayer life: “I pray the Liturgy of the Hours by myself and with the community here a couple days a week, as morning prayer before Mass. It’s something different and people have enjoyed it. I carry my rosary with me, because at times I just need it. Nothing wrong with rote prayers but you also have to tell Him what you’re thinking.” Leisure: “I have three passions in my life: baseball, music and religion, not necessarily in that order. I love singing and music in general. I have music CDS from religious, to Vivaldi, all the way to heavy metal. “Sometimes during the good months I try to get an occasional game of golf in. “I’m not a big reader. I have to be more audio because I’m dyslexic. It’s a tough thing I’ve had to learn to work with. I like listening to St. Augustine more than anyone because in his Confessions he wrestled with his faith. And Bonaventure is neat to listen to because of his Trinitarian focus. “Bishop Sartain recorded the four new Eucharistic prayers on a CD. I can listen with the text in front of me and practice them for a year. I’m going to have classes for my parish over the summer, too. The church wants it; we’re going to do it.” The ‘fall’ of man: “I had a two-hour trapeze lesson once after I was ordained, because one of my friends has some circus connections. I’m not a big circus person, but if there was one thing I wanted to do, that was it. I never got caught -- I dropped, but there was a net. It is grueling fun when your arms aren’t used to it – we had a lot of laughs.” Scripture: “Paul’s letter to the Philippians, 1:27: ‘Conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.’ I used to run into the classroom in the seminary and write it on the blackboard before our classes began.”