The priests currently assigned as pastors of the three Naperville parishes who provided the funding to establish All Saints Catholic Academy (St. Margaret Mary, St. Elizabeth Seton, and St. Thomas the Apostle) provide the pastoral leadership of All Saints Catholic Academy.  They rotate a two-year term serving as Pastoral President in a role that is similar to the pastor of a single parish Catholic school.

 

Rev. Paul Hottinger - Pastoral President (St. Margaret Mary)

Father Paul Hottinger joined the SMMP family in 2007. Father was ordained in 1975. He has served as Liaison to the Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Joliet for 26 years, served as pastor of St. Francis Church, Bolingbrook, and St. Joseph Church, Downers Grove.

Fr. Paul attended the Pontifical College Josephinum School of Theology in Columbus, Ohio, the Institute of Spiritual Leadership in Chicago, and Loyola University. He has taught Scripture courses at St. Francis College in Joliet, the Diaconate program, and adult formation at the parish level. He has worked in the area of spiritual direction and has conducted days of recollection, seminars and workshops on spirituality.

Father is widely read in many academic fields and keeps up with current scientific, economic, philosophical, and sociological books and journals, as well as religious and secular periodicals.

Along with a strong academic study of theology and spirituality, Fr. Paul has a balance of faith issues on the emotional and pastoral level. He is active in the Charismatic Renewal, Cursillo, Recovery Circles Foundation, and community organizing with DuPage United. Father’s own spirituality is Incarnational: Jesus is the Son of God continually incarnate in the community, in the body of the Church. Father lives in openness to the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, not only in his own life, but recognizes and encourages openness to that enlightenment in his staff, pastoral council, parishioners, and all people. He personally pursues and encourages others toward continual growth, study, and prayer seeing contemplation as a way of life. Father understands his role as that of preaching the word of God and invites all to continue Jesus’ mission in the world bringing healing and wholeness to everyday life which includes the family, the workplace, and political life.

 

Rev. Philip Danaher,  (St. Thomas the Apostle)

Fr. Philip Danaher was born and raised in St. Louis. He joined the Society of the Divine Word (Divine Word Missionaries) in 1975.  After working two years with the Divine Word Missionaries in Japan (1976 – 1978), he returned to the United States and made his first profession of vows with the Society in 1979. He then attended Catholic Theological Union in Chicago from 1979 to 1983 and was ordained on December 10, 1983. He returned to Japan and, after two years of language studies, was associate pastor at a parish in Tokyo. In 1989, Father returned to the United States and was assigned to hospital ministry in Pittsburgh until 1992.  From 1992 – 1996 he was associate pastor at St. Ferdinand Parish in Chicago. In 1996 he joined the Joliet Diocese where he served as associate pastor at St. Philip the Apostle, followed by service at St. Raphael Parish in Naperville from 1998 to 2002, also as associate pastor. Fr. Danaher was pastor of Christ the Servant Parish in Woodridge from June 2002 until January 2011 when he was named pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Addison. Fr. Danaher became the 5th Pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle in Naperville in June 2017.

 

Rev. Scott Huggins (St. Elizabeth Seton)

Father Scott Huggins was ordained in 2001. Prior to being appointed Pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton in July 2016, Fr. Scott served as pastor of Visitation Parish in Elmhurst (6 years) and St. Mary in Paxton/St. Joseph Mission in Loda (3 years.)

 

Assisting the School in Pastoral Ministry

Rev. William J. O'Shea ("Father Bill")

As pastor of St. Margaret Mary, Father Bill was instrumental in the establishment of All Saints Catholic Academy.  Fr. Bill was ordained in1963 and has served at parishes throughout the Diocese.  Father Bill retired as pastor of St. Margaret Mary in June, 2007. Now living in Chicago, Fr. Bill frequently visits classrooms augmenting religious instruction and faith formation provided by our teachers.

 

The pastors of Our Lady of Mercy, Holy Spirit Catholic Community, St. Nicholas in Aurora, as well as pastors and priests of any parish who have children attending All Saints are invited to preside at one of the weekly all school Masses and assist with reconciliation services.  Clergy are also encouraged to visit their parishioner students at any time and are welcome to participate in all the programs and activities at All Saints.

 

Father James Guarascio (Our Lady of Mercy):  Father James serves as Chaplain at ASCA. 

From Father James:

In the 5th grade at Ss. Peter and Paul in Naperville (also my ‘home’ parish where Fr. Milota was my pastor for 12 years), I began to sense the first signs of a vocation to the priesthood. It was not until three years later when, soon after my Confirmation, I began to understand that God was calling me. I could see how my past experiences, my talents, and my desires were all ordered towards the priesthood. Nevertheless, I hesitated to respond wholeheartedly.

 

I next attended Benet Academy in Lisle where I played on the soccer, volleyball, and swim teams. Despite academic successes and a promising future, I was left with a lack of peace. Through retreats, confession, and daily Mass, I began to take God’s call seriously.

 

After visiting the Benedictines at St. Procopius Abbey and the Holy Cross seminary at the University of Notre Dame, I knew God was calling me to diocesan priesthood. So, following a few months of discernment group meetings with Fr. Burke Masters, essays, interviews, and other application procedures, I was accepted by the Diocese of Joliet.

 

Following God’s call to enter seminary was the best decision I have ever made. The Lord blessed me throughout the eight years of my seminary formation with manifold graces, adventures, and joys. In the first four years of seminary, I was able to study in Rome for a semester, meet the pope, learn Spanish, and graduate with bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Catholic Studies from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. In the next four years, I studied at Mundelein Seminary where I earned a Master’s in Divinity and a bachelor’s in Sacred Theology. I also served as a chaplain at Good Samaritan Hospital, began making visits to DuPage County Jail, spent a semester in the Holy Land, and had a fantastic time as a deacon at St. Dominic’s in Bolingbrook and St. Michael’s in Wheaton. I love to learn and teach, so another Master’s degree in is in the works!

 

I’m currently serving my first assignment at Our Lady of Mercy in Aurora. I absolutely love my vocation and thank God every day for this calling.

 

Father Don McLaughlin (former Pastor from St. Thomas the Apostle, and former ASCA Pastoral President) from Our Lady of Mercy, Aurora also celebrate Mass with our All Saints school community.