New Pastor in Wilmette

Father Shannon of Chicago succeeds the Rev. E. Byrnes who takes church on West Side of Chicago. Parish has prospered. St. Francis Xavier's Catholic church in Wilmette has a new pastor. He is the Rev. Thomas Vincent Shannon, former pastor of St. Malachy's Roman Catholic church, Chicago. Father Shannon is a Chicagoan, a graduate of St. Ignatius' college, St. Mary's seminary at Baltimore, Md., the Catholic University of America, and a member of the University Club of Chicago. He has been pastor of St. Malachy's for ten years.

Father E. Byrnes, the former popular pastor, has been transferred to a new field in Chicago. This field is Mt. Carmel parish, located on the Northwest Side and which has been presided over by Father Gill. Owing to its great growth within the last few years it was found necessary to divide it , and Father Byrnes has been appointed by the archbishop to take charge of the older part of the parish.

Its Rapid Growth - Under the guiding hand of Father Byrnes the parish of St. Francis Xavier has grown from a small handful of parishioners to one of the most important Catholic churches on the north shore. A few years ago the church erected a beautiful brick church edifice and parochial school. These buildings were the ambition of the brilliant and energetic Father Byrnes, and he remained with the church until the debt on both the church and the school was lifted.

In leaving the village Wilmette loses one of its best citizens, and the sincere wishes of the entire village are extended to him in his new work on the Northwest Side of Chicago.

While the village regrets to lose Father Byrnes, it is pleased to know that such a capable man as Father Shannon is to be his successor.