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Pastormstallasrweuclid.ccMy name is Fr. Michael Stalla. I go by Fr. Michael.
My parents, Robert and Rose, raised me in Westlake. My parents still own our family home, though they spend most of the year in Naples, Florida. Our parish and my grade school were Holy Trinity in Avon, so I often say I am from Avon. I am the fifth of seven children. I have 14 nieces and nephews. They live in Avon, Avon Lake, Omaha, NE, Raleigh, NC, and Madison, WI.
I went to St. Ignatius High School with Fr. John Betters. We rode the bus together our freshmen and sophomore years. We both graduated from John Carroll University and Borromeo Seminary. We were both ordained in 2003. Since then, I completed my Doctorate of Ministry in 2022.
My first assignment as a priest was St. Mary Parish in Painesville in 2003. We were also responsible for the pastoral care of St. Francis Parish in Cleveland, so I have experience running two parishes. My second assignment was St. Raphael Parish, Bay Village. That was walking distance to my parents’ home. They belong to that parish now. In 2009, I was assigned for six years to the Cleveland Diocesan Missions in El Salvador, the same mission of Sr. Dorthy Kazel, though she died in 1980. In the missions, I served as pastor of 26 churches. Again, running multiple parishes is part of my vocational journey.
In 2015, I came home from the missions and served for eight years as pastor at SS. Cosmas and Damian Parish in Twinsburg. I still have many friends from those days. Finally, the last two years, I served at St. Mary Seminary in Wickliffe and the Presbyteral Moderator (priest) of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Fairport Harbor.
My current assignment is as pastor of both St. John of the Cross Parish and SS. Robert and William Parish. Though my duties have been greatly reduced, I continue teaching at St. Mary Seminary. I teach a homiletics course, a teaching-methods course, and I am the coordinator of field education. (I like to stay busy).