Father Prist will Retire in June of 2010 I turn 69 years old on June 22, 2010. A week after that I will retire as pastor of Queen of All Saints. I came here when I was 54 years old and will retire at 69. My decision to do this came after several weeks of deliberation and culminated in my eight day silent retreat at the end of June. On July 18th the Cardinal met with me and appreciated my reasons and affirmed the decision. Shortly after that I had a conference with our regional bishop who was also receptive to my decision. Finally the Priests’ Placement Board had to be notified to accept the parish into the pastor pool for next year. My reasons had to do with duration, completion and transition. Duration: A pastor usually gets two six-year terms. I was granted an extension because of my age. If I stayed to my 70th birthday, as originally planned, I would have been well into my 16th year here. I felt that was too long and it was time for a change. Completion: When I was asked to assume the pastorate of the Basilica parish I was asked to address certain concerns. In my estimation all the major projects have been completed. Of course we are never finished building up the Body of Christ, His church, but our capital improvements on buildings, inside and outside, as well as a significant campus updating have been completed. Along with the entire Archdiocese we have celebrated the Millennium, and our own 75th anniversary as a parish. We have taken on a capital campaign to begin the new millennium. Most importantly our ministries, boards and organizations are focused on our mission and help the whole community to thrive. Transition: There are important changes in staffing that are coming up soon and I believe the new pastor should make those decisions. He will have to live with them. For me personally I need to make a transition to the final phases of my life and priestly ministry. After I retire I will leave for six months to give my successor some breathing space. My time away will be to discern possibilities in the light of my energy and experience. The Cardinal and Bishop are already thinking of things. But my future will be here living above the garage and being as much a part of parish life as possible. My tenure here has been a wonderful, exciting and fulfilling time in what I have always considered to be my dream parish. But I’m not done yet and I hope to spend the next ten months with all the parish leadership focusing on our mission and encouraging the fullness of our life in the Lord’s service. - Father Wayne Prist