Advertisements ad

February 3, 2008

Radio and TV are in his blood

By Dolores Madlener

STAFF WRITER

Interviewee

Father Greg Sakowicz, pastor of St. Mary of the Woods, co-hosts “Catholic Community of Faith” on Relevant Radio 950AM Mondays and Fridays. Catholic New World/Natalie Battaglia

He is: Father Gregory (Greg) Sakowicz, pastor, St. Mary of the Woods Parish, 7033 N. Moselle Ave. Born Feb. 20, 1953. Alum of Mary, Seat of Wisdom School, Park Ridge; Notre Dame High School in Niles, Niles College and St. Mary of the Lake seminaries. Ordained May 9, 1979.

Deep thoughts in first grade: “I wanted to be like Father Hugh O’Brien who would come in the classroom and have everyone laughing.”

Old Polish custom: Hoping to charm at least one religious vocation from the heavens, he and his brother Adrian were named for two popes. His sisters are Pam and Marya. “My parents supported my vocation to the priesthood, especially my mother; she was No. 1 … her prayers …”

Son of radio/TV legend Sig Sakowicz: As a kid, when his dad was a radio broadcaster on WGN, “Sometimes on Saturdays he’d take me to the studio. He had a live program at 8:30-9:30 p.m. and again on Mondays at 11:05 p.m., just before Franklin McCormack. He’d say, ‘Greg, once that light goes on, you cannot talk. If you’re a good boy I’ll buy you ice cream when I’m off the air.’ I sat still for the ice cream.” His mother, a former opera singer, had also sung professionally.

Dreams change: “In high school I wanted to be a sportscaster. I put priesthood way in the back of my mind.” As a senior in 1970, he was accepted on early admission to Northwestern University, with a scholarship for radio and television. “But as happy as I should have been, the deepest part of me was not at peace.”

Seminary 10 min. from home: He recalls meeting with Holy Cross Father Chuck Lavely at school. “I told him my dilemma. Lavely said, ‘Have you ever thought about a call to priesthood?’”

“Yes,” he said, “But I wanted God to call somebody else.”

Lavely said, “If you go to Niles and don’t feel it’s for you, you gave it a try.” He turned down the scholarship, thinking, “This might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”

No guarantees: At Niles and Mundelein, he dreamed of doing radio and TV in the archdiocese. At 22, making the decision to continue on in the program, he met with Father Bill Clark, pastor at Mary, Seat of Wisdom. Clark said, “Greg, only get ordained if in your heart you can say, ‘If I never do TV or radio, I can still be OK as a parish priest the rest of my life.’”

“He was telling me, ‘Don’t dictate your priesthood; trust in the Lord.’” He trusted. “Ironically, I’ve done more radio and TV than I ever dreamed of, and as pastor of St. Mary of the Woods, I’ve had the best of both worlds.”

Priestly priority: “I do the TV Mass from Mercy Home, and ‘Sanctuary,’ that airs on Channel 7. On Fridays after I do radio from 9-10 a.m. in the studios at the [archdiocese’s] Pastoral Center, I run up a flight of stairs to serve on the Priests Placement Board from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“But my number-one commitment is being a pastor. Visiting the sick, meetings, funerals, weddings. ... If I have a funeral Monday or Friday the producer of the radio show gets a substitute.

His best sport: “Football! My brother Adrian and I played sports together as kids. I was an average athlete with a ferocious competitive attitude. Uncle Ted, my mother’s brother, a bachelor and great athlete, spent a lot of time with us. At age 3 or 4, I’m catching a football or baseball.”

Chicago Bears are favorites: He’s also a White Sox fan. “I don’t cheer against the Cubs unless they’re playing the Sox. I’m a die-hard Chicago sports fan. I was raised playing sports.”

Favorite musical group: As a priest/disk jockey years ago, he wasn’t limited to Christian music. “I liked Elton John, Neil Diamond, the Beach Boys, Chicago, Styx, the Rolling Stones.”

Best advice: “It was probably from Father George Kane, my first pastor at Holy Spirit in Schaumburg, ‘We’re not in control, trust God and things have a way of working out.’”

Leisure times: His hobbies include “bird watching at Montrose and Lake Shore Drive, where migratory birds feed, and vintage baseball cards and memorabilia —stuff from the’60s.”

Job satisfaction: “I’m blessed in 29 years of priesthood to have received more than I could ever give, especially from the people of St. Mary of the Woods Parish. I love my brother priests I live with as well. We’re all on this journey together.”