Jubilarians reflect on their priesthood

FEATURED HERE ARE PRIESTS currently serving in diocesan roles as well as retired diocesan priests celebrating jubilee anniversaries.

Father Gregory Mastey

FATHER GREGORY MASTEY
Pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka, Bowlus; All Saints, Holdingford; and Immaculate Conception, St. Anna

Q. LOOKING BACK OVER 25 YEARS, WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED THE MOST ABOUT BEING A PRIEST?

• Celebrating the Eucharist. I love the Mass!
• Bringing people to Christ and Christ to the people in the sacraments in some cool places all over the world.
• I have been privileged to meet holy people and walk with them in faith at very intimate and personal times on their journey.
• I have been inspired and nudged and aware of the Holy Spirit’s movements in my ministry and with people, and that has been exciting!
• I love the dances, bonfires, weddings, playing cards, the joy of baptisms, hikes in the woods, walks on the farms, the places I get to meet God’s people in very ordinary places.
• I enjoy the fact that people still need priests. Their cards of prayers, thank yous, appreciation and spiritual bouquets touch me in a very simple, humbling way.
• Every picture that I’ve kept or took of people holds a spot in my memory that I will always cherish.

Q. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO AS A PRIEST IN THE FUTURE?

Seeing how the Holy Spirit is going to use me to dynamically and creatively lead our church and our people into a deeper love relationship with God and each other.

Q. SHARE A FAVORITE MEMORY OR A FAVORITE QUOTE FROM ONE OF YOUR HOMILIES.

One of my many favorite saints is St. Josemarie Escriva, whom I quote often: “Not all of us can become rich, wise, famous, … yet all of us are called to be saints.” And: “If you can’t find God in the ordinary, it will be tough finding him in the extraordinary.”

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FATHER OSWALDO ROCHE
Parochial vicar of St. Andrew, Elk River, and St. Joseph, Waite Park

Q. LOOKING BACK OVER 25 YEARS, WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED THE MOST ABOUT BEING A PRIEST?

The first thing I have enjoyed is the love, generosity and mercy that God has had in calling me, recognizing myself as unworthy and without deserving it. God has shown me so much of his love that the first thing he gave me the day after my ordination was the opportunity to celebrate Mass with the pope, St. John Paul II, in his private chapel in Rome. And [he also] allowed me to baptize 130 children in the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Oriang, Diocese of Homa Bay, Kenya.

Q. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO AS A PRIEST IN THE FUTURE?

What I hope as a priest is that God allows me to continue proclaiming the joy of the Gospel and to celebrate the sacraments wherever he wants to send me.

Q. SHARE A FAVORITE MEMORY OR A FAVORITE QUOTE FROM ONE OF YOUR HOMILIES.

There have been many homilies, in Spanish, Italian and English, but the phrase that I remember the most is this: “God has called me, and he has sent me as a missionary disciple, and I have answered him. Here I am, Lord. Send me.”

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Vincentian Father George Michael

VINCENTIAN FATHER GEORGE MICHAEL
Pastor of Sacred Heart, Dent, and St. Lawrence, Rush Lake

Q. LOOKING BACK OVER 25 YEARS, WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED THE MOST ABOUT BEING A PRIEST?

I am humbly grateful to God for calling me to participate in his ministerial priesthood. The privilege of celebrating the sacraments, the blessing of sharing the joys and sorrows of my people (my parishioners) and hopefully bringing them a sense of the peace, compassion and love of the Lord.

Q. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO AS A PRIEST IN THE FUTURE?

Continuing to be true to my priestly commitment to God and to my people that I serve. I am thinking of doing two pilgrimages: the Camino de Santiago (the way of St. James) and St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, Canada.

Q. SHARE A FAVORITE MEMORY OR A FAVORITE QUOTE FROM ONE OF YOUR HOMILIES.

This is what I tell my people: “You are mine and I am yours.” “The Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is his name.”

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Father David Maciej

FATHER DAVID MACIEJ
Pastor of St. John Nepomuk, Lastrup, and Holy Cross, Harding

Q. LOOKING BACK OVER 40 YEARS, WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED THE MOST ABOUT BEING A PRIEST?

Celebrating Mass with parishioners. This really became clearer to me when we weren’t able to do so with COVID-19.

Q. AS YOU LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE TO DO IN YOUR MINISTRY THAT YOU HAVEN’T YET HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO?

I can’t think of anything that I haven’t had the opportunity to do in ministry. I hope to do more of some things, such as visiting nursing homes and hospital visits, involvement with a prayer/faithsharing group of some kind and visiting classrooms in Catholic schools and religious education programs. I also look forward to being able to visit other priests more frequently.

Q. WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES OR ENCOURAGES YOU IN YOUR FAITH LIFE?

First, my siblings and their families. Also, former parishioners, the Koinonia family, Bishop Kettler and other priests and deacons.

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Father Tom Becker

FATHER TOM BECKER
Pastor of Immaculate Conception, Rice, and Annunciation, Mayhew Lake

Q. LOOKING BACK OVER 40 YEARS, WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED THE MOST ABOUT BEING A PRIEST?

The most meaningful part of my ministry over the last 40 years was serving God’s people in the various smaller parishes throughout the diocese and the couple of years I spent in our diocesan mission in Maracay, Venezuela. I enjoyed being with the people and walking with them on their faith journey.

Q. AS YOU LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE TO DO IN YOUR MINISTRY THAT YOU HAVEN’T YET HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO?

As I look to the future, with retirement next year, I hope to have some quiet time to read and reflect and to spend some extra time with family and friends. Also, I hope to be able to help out in various parishes throughout the diocese.

Q. WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES OR ENCOURAGES YOU IN YOUR FAITH LIFE?

Early on in my faith life, I was inspired by the example of the pastors who served in my home parish of St. Isidore’s, Moran Township, in Todd County. I was also inspired by the faith life of my family. Today, I am very much inspired and encouraged by the energy and commitment of the younger priests of the diocese who willingly and creatively seek new ways to bring God’s Good News to others.

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Father Paul Folsom

FATHER PAUL FOLSOM
Retired priest

Q. WHAT ARE YOU MOST ENJOYING ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD 55 YEARS AFTER YOUR ORDINATION?

My spiritual reading and my dogs are a joy to me in my retirement. I have a springer spaniel named Friar Tuck. I learned spiritual reading from a retreat at St. John’s when I was in high school and I have read books many times over. I also still enjoy celebrating Mass privately at my lake home in Battle Lake.

 

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Father Frank Tomasiewicz

FATHER FRANK TOMASIEWICZ
Retired priest

Q. WHAT ARE YOU MOST ENJOYING ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD 55 YEARS AFTER YOUR ORDINATION?

Being a priest over the last 55 years has given me a wide variety of experiences including the military, working in parishes, meeting people and adjusting to a wide variety of circumstances. I do enjoy a lot of reading, learning new skills, learning to live in retirement without the administrative duties of a priest, sympathizing with other clergy as they face difficult times and praying for those who are afflicted in any way, shape or form, including clergy and religious.

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Benedictine Father Roger Botz

BENEDICTINE FATHER ROGER BOTZ
Currently serving as part-time chaplain at the St. Cloud Hospital

Q. WHAT ARE YOU MOST ENJOYING ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD 60 YEARS AFTER YOUR ORDINATION?

In all my priestly life, I’ve had really great work assignments. These include a couple of years in parish work, a few more years in the foreign missions, a long stint in academia at St. John’s University and now over 30 years as a chaplain in the St. Cloud Hospital. At the moment, I’m on leave from hospital work because of my vulnerability to the coronavirus pandemic due to my age. I am hoping to return to chaplaincy when the threat lessens. While my energy level has diminished over the years, I am grateful and feel very fortunate to be able to offer this important service.

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Father Ken Thielman

FATHER KEN THIELMAN
Retired priest, currently serving as volunteer chaplain at CentraCare Health in Melrose

Q. WHAT ARE YOU MOST ENJOYING ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD 65 YEARS AFTER YOUR ORDINATION?

My priesthood really changed about 22 years ago when I came to Melrose to serve as a chaplain at the nursing home and its facilities. Now, especially during this time of sickness, I have been able to celebrate Mass every day. We have a separate TV channel that broadcasts to the residents’ rooms. I also lead the rosary. It’s pretty satisfying being here. I’ve enjoyed every place I have served. I always had a soft spot for Waite Park, where I began my ministry and later served again. I always thought maybe I would retire there, but Melrose has been an unexpected blessing for me. They always ask me, “Father, what would we do without you?” And I always respond, “What would I do without you?” I just can’t think of any place that would be better than this.

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Father Edwin Kraemer

FATHER EDWIN KRAEMER
Retired priest

Q. WHAT ARE YOU MOST ENJOYING ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD 65 YEARS AFTER YOUR ORDINATION?

I’m grateful for the 65 years the Lord has allowed me to be in this ministry as a priest and grateful to all those people who have helped on the way to priesthood and during my 65 years as a priest. I am especially thankful for family members who have been supportive and all the many people in the parishes where I served. I am also grateful for these years of retirement at Speltz House with the many wonderful priests who are with me here.

Author: The Central Minnesota Catholic

The Central Minnesota Catholic is the magazine for the Diocese of St. Cloud.

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