By: Jen 12/14/04

Father Jeff serving his first Mass ever.

(at St. Eugene Parish)

Father Jeff Cornelius is an alumnus of Immaculate Heart of Mary. He is being inducted into the Immaculate Heart of Mary “Alumni of Distinction.” This means that he is being recognized for being an alumnus of IHM. It also means that he took the education he received here and carried it out with him. He graduated from the school in 1991. He attended IHM in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade.

Father Jeff said that he enjoyed attending IHM. Although he was very shy when he attended the school, he felt that IHM provided a comfortable environment for him to grow. He claims that the teachers were an inspiration to him and they were a good motivation in his life.

Father Jeff felt that IHM prepared him very well for high school. He attended Walsh Jesuit and says that he did well there because of the education he received in junior high school. He enjoyed his experience at Walsh. He decided to go there after he visited the school. He decided that after seeing how the school was run, he could see himself at Walsh for his four years of high school. After graduating from Walsh, he attended Borromeo College and then Saint Mary Seminary.

While attending IHM, Father Jeff appreciated the guidance of the teachers that taught him. When he was in sixth grade, his teachers were Mrs. Parson and Mrs. Hardesty. In seventh grade his teachers were Mrs. Urbon, Mrs. Macarella, Mrs. Bickett, and Mrs. Falanga. He felt that Mrs. Hardesty and Mrs. Falanga took the time to make sure that he would thrive at IHM. He is very thankful for everything they did to make him feel special. Father Jeff also keeps in contact with a few of the people he met at Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Father Jeff is a priest. He was ordained in May of 2004. His home parish growing up was Saint Eugene. He believes that his vocation to priesthood began there. He also believes that his experiences at IHM and Walsh helped to create a foundation for the Lord to call him to priesthood. He says that his mom was a great influence for him to become a priest. He also believes that the parishioners at St. Eugene were a strong influence. These people saw attributes in him that qualified him for priesthood. They did not fail to tell him that they recognized these qualities. Father Jeff loves being a priest. God has always amazed him. He says that celebrating mass and working in a school are two of his favorite activities. He is currently stationed at Saint Rita parish in Solon, Ohio.

Father Jeff, like everybody else, has many favorites. His favorite color is green. He enjoys watching the Star Wars movies and the West Wing television show. When he has free time, his favorite book to read is Holy Longing. His favorite sport is bowling and his favorite sports team is St. Rita’s Falcons. He enjoys listening to music by Phil Collins. Father Jeff has many favorites in his life, but his ultimate favorite thing is God.

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