Diocesan director of stewardship retires

IC photo/Laura Vallejo

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The Pastoral Center staff blesses John Kaloudis at his retirement party.

SALT LAKE CITY— After four years as director of the Diocese of Salt Lake City Office of Stewardship and Development and Diocesan Development Drive, John Kaloudis is retiring.

On May 18 a small gathering was held and a service prayer was offered at the Pastoral Center, honoring Kaloudis for his service to the diocese.

Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw, the diocese’s vicar general, started the celebration by thanking Kaloudis for his years of service.

“I would like to thank John for his enthusiastic and beautiful work at the diocese,” Msgr. Bircumshaw said. “It’s hard for me to think back to those days with the interviews in my office, but I remember that John was the outstanding candidate. … That was clear.”

Kaloudis arrived at the diocese offices in September 2014, bringing with him his experience working for five years with Orthodox Christian Charities, which is an international humanitarian aid organization. With a Master of Divinity degree from Holy Cross Seminary in Boston, he served as a priest of Salt Lake City’s Greek Orthodox community from 1985 to 2001. He also was the director of development for the University of Utah’s College of Mining Engineering and Earth Sciences.

“He brought many gifts. … One of them was his own faith – his Greek Orthodox faith, especially as a Greek Orthodox priest who knew his theology and knew stewardship,” said Msgr. Bircumshaw, adding that, as part of his job, Kaloudis travelled throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City, which is comprised of about 85,000 square miles.

Kaloudis and his wife, Kathleen, “very generously spent many hours in the parishes and missions” all around the diocese, Msgr. Bircumshaw said. He called Kaloudis “a Christian gentleman” and said that, like a window, Kaloudis “allowed the light of Christ to shine through himself. … Thank you for that, John.”

At the May 18 gathering, Bishop Oscar A. Solis led the prayer service and also thanked Kaloudis for his service to the diocese.

“On behalf of the people of the Salt Lake City diocese and my brother priests, we would like to thank you, John, for your service to our Church,” Bishop Solis said. “We appreciate your contribution to the work of the Church here in the Diocese of Salt Lake City. … And to your family, thank you for sharing John.”

Kaloudis said that his plans for his retirement include spending more time with his grandchildren, playing tennis, reading, traveling and taking a part-time job.

Some of Kaloudis’ fondest memories that he has from his journey at the diocese are “the wonderful and faithful people I have encountered throughout the diocese, the interaction with many inspiring clergy … and the opportunity to share the message of faithful Christian stewardship,” he said.

At the celebration, Kaloudis thanked the diocesan staff.

“Monsignor, thank you very much for your kind words,” he said. “Just to share a few thoughts: This has been a wonderful period of my life. I learned so much from all of you. It’s been enriching and I’m so thankful for the many, many wonderful people that I met here.”