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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Reverend Dirk Ficca of Oak Park, who
4passed away on December 21, 2021 at the age of 66; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca was born to John and Patricia
6(Hurst) Ficca in Iowa City, Iowa on January 8, 1955; he was
7raised in Bloomington, Illinois; he earned his undergraduate
8degree from the University of Iowa and his Master of Divinity
9from McCormick Theological Seminary; he married Lynda Hoffman
10in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1984, and they later moved to Oak
11Park and started their family; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca was a pioneer in the global
13interfaith movement; throughout his career, he served as a
14minister, professor, and interfaith organizer; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca formerly served as pastor of the
16First Presbyterian Church of Benton Harbor in Michigan; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca previously held a number of
18prominent academic roles, teaching at DePaul University,
19Garrett Evangelical-Theological Seminary, and the Lutheran
20School of Theology; he additionally served as an advisor to
21Dr. Antje Jackelen, the current archbishop of the Church of

 

 

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1Sweden and a former colleague of the Lutheran School of
2Theology; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca served as the executive director
4of the Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions for
520 years; during his tenure, he led the creation of three
6international parliament events in Capetown, South Africa,
7Barcelona, Spain, and Melbourne, Australia; and
 
8    WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Rev. Dirk Ficca was
9serving as the executive director of the Twin Cities Social
10Cohesion Initiative and senior advisor to the Church of Sweden
11and the World of Neighbors Initiative; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca wrote a September 11th memorial
13message in 2010, which was printed in the Chicago Tribune,
14where he offered solace to the individuals and families who
15were still in mourning; he also affirmed the peaceful tenets
16of Islam and defended the constitutional right of American
17Muslims to openly practice their faith; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca was an avid cinephile and golfer;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca was preceded in death by his
21mother, Patricia Ficca; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca is survived by his wife of 37
2years, Lynda (Hoffman) Ficca; his sons, Dillon Ficca and
3Connor Ficca; his father, John Ficca; his sisters, Darby
4Venerable and Dawn Coursey; his brother, Douglas Ficca; and
5his several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews;
6therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
8ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
9Reverend Dirk Ficca and extend our sincere condolences to his
10family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
11further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to the family of Rev. Dirk Ficca as an expression of
14our deepest sympathy.