Rev. Mike Dangelo Moving On From St. Paul's

Reverend Mike Dangelo, pastor of in Lynnfield, recently announced that he will be stepping down and moving with his family to a new position in Texas.

On February 19th, Dangelo will say his final sermon at St. Paul's, and the next day, he, his wife Faye and daughter Susannah will begin the process of moving to the Dallas area. There, Dangelo is set to begin the newest phase of his career at St. Mark's School in North Dallas, with an enrollment of around 800 students. Dangelo will be the chaplain, a school administrator, and a history teacher there. As a history teacher, his focus will be ancient history, particularly the area of religious development.

"It was probably the hardest decision of my adult life to leave St. Paul's," said Dangelo in a recent interview with Lynnfield Patch. However, Dangelo also points out that when "God is calling you to something, you need to listen to it when it happens."

Dangelo has been at St. Paul's in Lynnfield for four years, and he said that it's fairly common for a minister to move on anyhow after four to six years in one location. However, this new career opportunity came and found him instead of the other way around. Dangelo explained that each year, he spends a couple of weeks as summer chaplain at St. Aiden's in South Dartmouth - and that last year, he stayed on for a third week and had Rev. George Andrews, a prominent former headmaster for Episcopal schools, in his audience.

The two reportedly talked a little about school ministry after the service that day, but to Dangelo, "it would have to be an extraordinary opportunity" to get him away from his church in Lynnfield. The two spoke again and Dangelo soon found himself with an invitation to visit and speak at the chapel at St. Mark's School. "I kind of got clubbed over the head so to speak, this notion that this would be a great place to be," said the Reverend. With that visit having gone well, Faye also went out to see the school and was excited by the possibility.

For her part, Faye is a PhD candidate at Harvard, with plans to teach theology. Dangelo said that she will continue her studies, using neaby educational resources like Baylor and Southern Methodist University. Before agreeing to the move, the couple also had to be sure that the proper resources and services would be available to their four and a half year old daughter, who is legally blind. During the interview, Dangelo expressed gratitude to the staff at Lynnfield Preschool for all their work on her behalf.

At St. Paul's, church Senior Warden Abbe Moore and Junior Warden Dick Shafner will serve as the residential canonical authority in the absence of a full-time pastor, and will soon be working with their bishop on forming a search committee, among other related tasks. Dangelo reports that it could take as little as as six months or as long as 14 months to complete the process.

Looking back, Dangelo's bond to St. Paul's is strengthened even more by the fact that he was ordained there by Bishop Thomas Shaw. Since his first service at the church in April, 2008, Dangelo prides himself on leading the congregation through a period where it enjoyed growth and became re-engaged with the community at large.

Dangelo is very proud of the relationship the congregation has built with St. Luke's Episcopal Churchi in Chelsea, which has provided new opportunity for volunteer and ministry work. In the summer months, many town residents may have seen the garden the church maintains near its parking lot, growing food that is then provided to the soup kitchen at St. Luke's.

Another thing Dangelo expressed great pride in is the church's Bethlehem School - which is now in the process of incorporating some Montessori methods into its traditional educational philosophy. For her leadership at the school, Dangelo had particular praise for Director Carmelina Padovani.

Also, a big part of the church's growth in recent years has been its for the choir - and which has also been used by various guest musicians since its introduction last year.

Finally, Dangelo has presided over an active congregation, because he sees fellowship as being an important part of his ministry. Last January, this website ran its first interview with the Reverend soon after learning that St. Paul's was home to with members from St. Paul's as well as the Christ Church in nearby Hamilton. A subsequent visit to a meeting of the order confirmed the monk-like prowess of these brewers.

"It's a thriving place and the next rector has all the tools that he or she needs to take it to the next level," said Dangelo.

Dangelo also indicated that the family will continue to visit the Boston area in the summer months, and he is optimistic that his successor will take over a church that continues to thrive in numerous ways.

"Whoever becomes the next rector has a remarkable community to be a part of," said Dangelo. "This parish is just a caring and thoughtful place."