Fr. Michael Rodak is new to West Milford. Arriving in July to become the administrator of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Hewitt, he already has an affinity with the town. He’s made it his business to meet with municipal leaders and as far as the geographical nature of West Milford, well that suits him just fine. “I’m a country person, this is ideal for me. I love the wildlife,” he said. Fr. Michael is interested in working with the township, its leaders and its people. He wants to be a part of the community. “We have to be partners. We have to get over 'you’re this and you’re that’ and get together to help people,” Fr. Michael said. Fr. Michael, 45, was born and raised in Hackensack. He attended Montclair State University, studying political science and public administration. As a child he had a nose for news. He began reading newspapers when he was just eight years old and he recalled his admiration for newscaster Peter Jennings. “I was a very avid news junkie. I really had a passion for government,” he said. While in seventh grade, Fr. Michael went on a boy’s vocational retreat, living with priests and brothers for a week. It was not for him, he said, but it was not an adverse reaction to the priesthood. “I didn’t like to be away from home,” he explained. From childhood he always felt a pull towards the religious life yet he also thought about a future that included marriage and children. He wanted to serve God and his people and he did so for a while in government work, yet the priesthood was always beckoning him. He worked for a number of years as a legislative assistant. Working in governmental affairs, such as changes to the prison system, the ban of partial birth abortion and parental consent legislation, filled the need to serve people for a time. He had a radio career for several years, working at Dumont and Pompton Lakes radio stations and on a public affairs show, Target New Jersey. But then God gave him a louder, more definitive call. “The Lord kept nudging away at me and in 1998 I said 'Okay, Lord, you win.’ ” At the age of 32 he entered St. Charles Seminary in Philadelphia. In 2007 Fr. Michael was ordained a priest in St. John’s Cathedral in Paterson. Bishop Serratelli offered him a position in the diocese of Paterson and he’s served within that diocese since. As administrator, Fr. Michael puts in long hours. One of his main concerns is spreading the word that the welcome mat is out at Our Lady Queen of Peace. “I want to let people know that this church is ready to serve them, people are welcome here,” he said. “I want parish involvement and I want people to know their needs are going to be addressed, they will have a say in things.” Adding new ministries and out-reach programs, tending to finances and the needs of this 1,000-family parish often leads to 80-hour work weeks for Fr. Michael. Sometimes it’s a challenge to get some rest and recharge his battery. He spends time visiting his mother and just a simple drive to admire the landscape brings him peace. If he had to isolate the best parts of his calling he would say it’s seeing people happy in their faith and getting people to recognize Christ in their lives. “Even in the most difficult challenges one might face, God is there. Go to Him,” he said. Fr. Michael has a friend who sometimes visits at the rectory but lives mostly with his mother. Cupcake, a cute little poodle, is attached at the hip to Fr. Michael and often travels with him on his days off. A dedicated animal lover, he recognizes the spirit and helplessness in animals and this little fuzz-ball brings him great joy. There’s not a lot of meal preparation going on in the rectory and the days of hired cooks are a thing of the past. Fr. Michael’s hectic schedule doesn’t allow much time for cooking so he mostly dines on TV dinners or something from the supermarket. He does make a good pasta sauce, though, and gladly shares the recipe here. Fr. Michael’s Bolognese 1.5 pounds ground turkey 6 cans Contadina Tomato Paste with Italian herbs McCormack Italian Seasoning -grinder is best - season to taste Brown meat and drain off grease Add six cans of paste and six cans of water Cook for half an hour Boil pasta and serve with sauce