Rev. Robert Fitzgerald
Deacon
My wife Kathleen and I have been married for forty-eight years. We have a wonderful
family consisting of six children and eight grandchildren. We both attended Christ the King
grade school together and lived only a couple of blocks apart growing up. We moved to Livonia
in 1960 and have been parishioners of St. Michael’s ever since.
I joined the diaconate program in 1972 and was ordained in 1978, so I celebrated
my 30th year of ministry in 2008. After serving a six-month internship with Mnsgr.
Clement Kern at Holy Trinity Parish in Detroit, I spent ten years at St. Valentine
with Mnsgr. Bill Sherzer, followed by several years at my home parish of St.
Michael. I then served three years
at St. Patrick in White Lake with Fr. Tom Meager and then
went back to St. Michael for several more years. I came to St. Priscilla just before Fr. Ray first went to Iraq, and have
been here ever since. It is a pleasure to minister with someone as supportive as
Fr. Jim. We are very fortunate to have him as our pastor.
The reason I became a deacon in the first place was to become involved in prison
ministry. I was a chaplain at Western Wayne, D.H.O.C.O., and Phoenix correctional facilities
from 1972-2002. This was my primary focus, and I always felt very blest to
be given the opportunity to minister to the incarcerated.
I am very thankful for the wonderful life with which God has blest me. I have always
felt welcome at St. Priscilla and look forward to being part of this great parish
for several more years.