In response to the question of whether anyone in the Class of 1964 was still working full time, it appears that John Hyland, who is now Msgr. John Hyland and is Vicar General of the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, is still very actively working.
He reported that he entered the seminary in his second year at St. Ambrose and went on to the major seminary after that. He was ordained on June 1, 1968. His first assignment was Ft. Madison as an assistant to St. Mary’s and in 1974 he became principal of Aquinas Jr. Sr. High School and Executive Secretary of the Ft. Madison Catholic School System. In addition to these responsibilities he was also Pastor of St. Mary’s, Augusta, 1982-1985 and St. Joseph Parish, Ft. Madison, 1985-1990. After serving in Ft. Madison for 22 years, he was named Pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, Burlington. In 1993 he was appointed Vicar General for the Diocese of Davenport and he is currently in that position.
In an interview with The Catholic Messenger, John said this about his career as a priest, "I think the most rewarding moments are being able to celebrate the joys and sorrows in people’s lives. I especially remember the 22 years of school work and 15 years in parish work."
It is not all work for Msgr. Hyland, because he likes golf, bridge and site seeing.
How about meeting Ray Gondek and Mike Van de Kerckhove at Arlington Park Race Track (http://www.arlingtonpark.com/) and have lunch at the Million Room (847-385-7410). Modified dress code--slacks, collared shirts, jacket optional. Have a great afternoon at a beautiful facility along with conversations, lunch and entertainment with former classmates.
