When asked what he would name a movie about his life, Father John said: “Maybe it could be called ‘I don’t know what to tell you.’ I know that sounds funny, but I’m serious.” It’s a simple answer, but somehow it fits him perfectly.
Through an insightful interview with Father John, we got to learn more about him and just how much work and heart go into being the chaplain at Montrose and Sparhawk. Father John discovered his vocation in college when he found out about Opus Dei. He describes his journey to priesthood as “a crazy adventure, a serious risk, and a great blessing all at once.” After years of prayer and study, Fr. John was ordained a priest.
Opus Dei is a big part of Father John’s faith. Father John has a connection with Opus Dei that allows him to have a profound trust in God and find joy in daily life. Explaining the spirit of Opus Dei, he says, “For students this means finding time for prayer, growing in a deeper prayer life, putting grades and relationships in the right perspective, and then living joyfully in the presence of God, having fun, doing all things for and with God—except bad things, of course!”
Father John’s day-to-day life as a priest is anything but predictable. Between Masses, Confessions, chapel periods at Montrose and Sparhawk, and teaching or giving spiritual direction at a seminary, every day looks a little different. He describes his schedule as “kind of chaotic, but in a good way.” What surprises him most about being a priest is “how hard it is at times and how much people love Jesus,” but he says the greatest joy is discovering again and again how constantly Jesus loves him. Even with the challenges, Father John says it’s all worth it: “It’s a joy for me to be with you guys and try to help you in any way I can.”
Now, the big question that as teens we all ask ourselves at some point: how can we as teens and students grow closer to God in the midst of school life, social media, and stress? Father John answers, “Prayer. To pray sincerely is immediately to grow closer to God. Even if it’s just a few silent words in between classes, during a class, whenever and wherever, prayer always helps.” But he also points out that prayer isn’t just for when things are going well; it’s just as important when life feels confusing or God feels distant. In times of doubt and spiritual dryness, Father John tells us to try to remind ourselves that God knows everything and permits everything for our good. Even our doubts are part of God’s plan, so if God is permitting some difficulty or doubt, it’s not the end of the world. Father John reminds us that we can handle anything with God’s help.
Finally, a piece of advice from Father John for anyone who wants to explore their faith more deeply and live their lives for God is to “get good advice.” Ask a chaplain, a religion teacher, or someone they know who is practicing the faith. They can recommend something to read or help them with some question or problem they have in understanding the faith.
Father John is Montrose’s beloved chaplain for his homilies, his talks about God in religion class, small chats with him outside his office, and yes, even his really bad jokes! We’re grateful for his guidance, his patience, and the way he makes faith approachable for all of us. He’s someone who takes the time to listen, encourage, and challenge students to grow closer to God, and Montrose is better for having him here! And since you cannot really end an article about Father John without a joke, here is one of his favorites: “Did you hear that Michelangelo’s David fell off of his pedestal? Now he has a chip on his shoulder.”
Don’t worry – we don’t get it either 🙂
