A celebration in honor of Monsignor G. Michael Schleupner for his countless contributions to the St. Francis de Sales Community was held on Sunday, January 22, 2006.   At the celebration, the parish thanked Fr. Mike by naming the Monsignor G. Michael Schleupner Education Center in his honor.  A plaque and a drawing of Fr. Mike will be placed in the Education Center.   View photos (by Paul Calvano) of the celebration.

Song of Thanksgiving: You are ever a part of our lives; All the good you have shared will live on in our heart.

Oh, Father Mike (to the tune of "Danny Boy")   O' Father Mike, the bells, the bells are calling you From Bel Air town on St. Margaret's side The Cardinal's called, there's no use you a stallin' 'Tis you must go, must go and we must bide   But come ye back when your life is full of woes And your hair is whiter than the snow Then we'll be here with index cards awaiting O' Father Mike, O' Father Mike, we love you so!

Dear Friends, First, to all of you, I say thanks. You, the people of St. Francis de Sales, have been wonderful. I thank you for your faith, for your commitment to Catholicism even in some challenging times, and for your commitment to this parish. As I said last week, you have given of yourselves in so many ways and it is this – all of us giving of our time, talent and treasure – this makes St. Francis de Sales the wonderful community of faith that it is. I specifically thank the Pastoral Council for your wise and visionary leadership over the years. I have very much enjoyed working with you. I also want to thank the staff. I have felt blessed to be part and leader of a talented and dedicated team like this. The blend of women and men, ordained and lay has made this an exciting experience of Church and of priesthood for me. As I leave here, I have so many feelings: I feel very fulfilled. This has been a very, very satisfying and fulfilling experience for me. I know that comparisons can often be tricky. Still, I must say that these seven and a half years have been among, if not the happiest of my thirty-three and a half years as a priest. I feel proud. I feel proud of you, of us as a parish and of what we have done together. I often sing the praises of St. Francis de Sales to those outside this community. I feel somewhat sad. Leaving here is a loss for me. True, I am not going far and I believe that I will enjoy the people and ministry at St. Margaret’s very much. Nevertheless, leaving behind the weekly and even daily interactions with so many of you is a loss for me. In very brief form, that is it. I thank you. I love you. May the Lord continue to shine upon and bless you, the people who are St. Francis de Sales Parish. Father Mike