FeedsFond farewell
'Jack the builder' headed to new community parish
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Father Jack Baker is moving on to a new parish after 11 years of service at St. Mary in Wayne.When Fr. Jack Baker first took over the helm of St. Mary’s in Wayne, he was given three primary directives:
Bring more students into the school, make sure the teachers were adequately compensated and bring a long-discussed activity center to fruition.
Eleven years later—almost to the day—Baker has accomplished all that and helped develop the John Bolde Community Outreach Center, too.
“Not very many people in life can say they did what they were asked to do. I’ve been blessed,” Baker said. “I’ve been able to do that and more.”
Baker is moving on, assigned to a new parish in Waterford after a distinguished run at the Wayne parish.
The priesthood is a sort of second career for Baker, who originally graduated from Michigan Tech and didn’t have a Catholic upbringing. He faced several challenges when he came to St. Mary—he had only been an associate pastor before—notably the construction of the activity center.
He knew right away there was support for the project, though—because there were 45 people on the committee.
“We knew it would help beautify the area,” he said. “Economically, times were better. People were behind it.”
The church already owned a lot of property to facilitate the expansion. Within nine days of his arrival, two houses had been torn down to make way for it, which he said earned him the nickname of ‘Jack the Ripper.’
The nickname has since been changed to Jack the Builder, something he’s more comfortable with. And the church—like the faint brick pattern on the eastern wall of the activity center would suggest—has become an anchor in the community.
“I really embraced that,” Baker said. “It’s not just for Catholics, it’s for the community.
“The pastor of a parish is responsible for all the souls in his boundaries—that’s church law. It’s not just the Catholics, it’s the community,” he added.
Tom Kelly, a Wayne city councilman and member of the congregation for more than 30 years, said he gives Baker a lot of credit for the achievements at the church. He called Baker a human dynamo and said he’d be missed.
“He was a dynamic, driving force for the people at St. Mary and the people of Wayne,” Kelly said. “He’s one of those gifted people that can get things done.
“He never stopped,” Kelly added. “He always had the people in mind.”
“He brought a special kind of energy to St. Mary,” added Mathew Mulholland, a life-long resident of the community and member of the parish.
Catholic priests are typically stationed at a church for six years. After that they can request to stay, but if the request is granted there’s an understanding that they may be transferred any year after that. Baker knew for several months of the impending move. He said he knew it was time to move on. He said he’s looking forward to the new challenges, but will miss the people he met here in Wayne.
“When I came here, I learned that the people of Wayne were the salt of the Earth,” he said. “If you’re kind to them, they will surprise you in the kindness they return to you.
“The difficult part of leaving will be leaving the people I’ve come to know,” he said. “But there are some people I know that I’ll never cross paths with again. But that’s OK. We’ll catch up in Heaven.”
