MEET THE STAFF

 

Father Robert Hyde - Pastor

Father Hyde was born in Concord, Massachusetts, grew up in Acton, MA, Grosse Pointe, MI, and Darien, CT, before moving to Cazenovia at the age of 16.  He has one older and two younger sisters, and a brother who is the youngest in the family; He has five nephews and two nieces.  His late dad was in the beer business and his mom was a former librarian and a homemaker.  Father Hyde went to high school at a Benedictine boarding school, Portsmouth Abbey School, in Rhode Island.  He went to college at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, LeMoyne College and the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, He was ordained in 1988. 

Father Hyde has been a priest for 20 years, most of that time in parish ministry, but for the last four years he was a chaplain at Crouse Hospital.  His ministry has been mostly in parishes: Holy Family in Fairmount, St. Joseph’s in Camillus, and as pastor at St. Patrick’s in Whitney Point.  He has also worked in the tribunal of the diocese with Fr. Tim Elmer and still helps out there occasionally. 

Father Hyde's philosophy of priesthood and parish life is simple to state but challenging to put into practice:  The priest and the parish should have a deep relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, the sacraments, and community life. 

Father states that - "This challenges me to deepen my relationship with Jesus and it calls us as a community to do what we can to help all our members have a living relationship with Jesus.  A lot goes into this, good liturgy, fostering private prayer and devotions, social justice work, and being a joyful welcoming community."

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Father Cleophas O. Tuka - Parochial Vicar

Ordained a priest for the diocese of Nakuru, Kenya in 1995, I served for two years as an associate pastor at a suburban parish in Kenya before I was assigned to the chancery as the financial administrator for five and half years. I came to Syracuse, NY in 2004, at which time I studied business administration at Lemoyne College, and served in the parishes of St. Ambrose, Endicott, and Holy Family, Fairmount.

I grew up in Kenya. I am the first of seven children of Raphael Tuka and Angelina Achieng. After graduating from High School and working for one year, I studied for the priesthood at St. Mary, St. Augustine, and St. Mathias Mulumba Seminaries in Kenya. I was inspired to join the priesthood when Pope Paul II visited Kenya in May 1980. My ministry, celebrating mass, and serving the people of God gives me joy and fulfillment, for this reason, I consider my calling a privilege and a wonderful gift.

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Deacon Don Whiting

Deacon Don was ordained in 1979, with a diocesan health ministry at Plaza Extended Care Facility (now Rosewood Heights).  In 1980, he was assigned by Bishop Harrison to St. Margaret's Parish, to train interested parishioners to become Ministers to the Sick.  In 1981, at a mass on May 3, he commissioned 28 members to visit those in hospitals, nursing homes and private homes.  Since then, he has had various ministries conducting pre-baptismal classes, training altar servers, RCIA classes, adult classes and upon his retirement of forty years in the Air Force and Air Guard in 1990 as an Avionics Manager, has been involved with most funerals. He conducts Prayer Services at a Funeral Home prior to Funeral Mass at Church, where he serves as a Deacon, followed by officiating at a Committal Service in area cemeteries. For those not wanting a Funeral Mass, he does a Liturgy Outside of Mass at a Funeral Home, followed by a Committal Service at a cemetery.

He is also Chaplain of the 174th Alumni Association that comprises over 600 members world-wide.  He conducts Memorial Services for members who have died and ensures that their names will be engraved on granite stones at the Alumni Park located on the Air Base at Hancock Field.

A native of the Syracuse area and a father of three, he has been involved with two of his children in their marriage ceremony at St. Margaret's, by delivering the homily for his daughter and officiating at his son's wedding.  He is the grandfather of eleven, having baptized ten of them in Lake Forest, California; Lawrenceville, Georgia; St Cyril's in Alexandria Bay; St. Rose in North Syracuse and several at St. Margaret's. Of the ten, he has been privileged to impart the Sacrament of First Communion to seven and has been with two Bishops from Ogdensburg for three granddaughters receiving their  Sacrament of Confirmation and with an Archbishop of Atlanta for a granddaughter and grandson's  Sacrament of Confirmation.

Deacon Don is an ex-officio member of the Parish Council and member of the Liturgy Committee.

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Dick Milazzo - Sacristan

Dick was born in Solvay, NY. He's originally a communicant of St. Brigid's/St. Cecelia's churches, but Dick has been at St. Margaret's Church since 1963.  He's been attending the 6:45 a.m. mass for over 40 years!  Dick loves doing the work of the sacristan which involves the preparation of the sanctuary for liturgies, funerals, weddings, baptisms, and the care of the chapel, too.  When asked about what has attracted him to this work (at which he is so dedicated) he responds that it's the closest he could get to being a priest or a deacon without actually being ordained.
                   

In the times that Dick isn't at church he works with his son in a business that he started.  It deals with tile, ceramic, and granite fabricating.  Dick also enjoys baseball, in fact, he says that he, at one time, chose baseball instead of pursuing the priesthood.

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Carleen Smith : Parish Secretary

 

Elaine Quick : Parish Bookkeeper

 

 

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Susanne Donze : School Principal

 

 

 

Theresa Vaga : Director of Faith Formation

music

Michael Stephan:Director of Music Ministry

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

mary dwyer
  Mary Dwyer: Human Development

 

Donna Skrocki

Donna Skrocki : Athletics