GETTING TO KNOW FR. JOHN RUMPZA
Our New Parochial Vicar Shares His Journey to the Priesthood
God sure has a sense of humor. Growing up in St. Paul, my little brother seemed destined for the priesthood. As a toddler, he would raise his sippy cup during consecration among other priestly gestures. Meanwhile, I was counting the songs, waiting for Mass to end. My family was betting on him becoming the priest, not me.
But God had other plans. While in fourth grade, my dad took me aside one day and encouraged me to begin asking God if he was calling me to be a priest. From early on, I wanted to get married and have a family, yet my dad encouraged me to be open to God’s voice and to trust His plan, even when it is surprising. His encouragement turned out to be prophetic. My journey with God has been of unexpected turns and surprises.
After high school and college, I jumped into the working world with big dreams. I was going to build a successful career to support a future family. But to my surprise, the harder I tried, the more my dreams slipped out of reach. I had this nagging feeling I was meant for something else, but I didn’t know what it was.
The same thing happened when I was dating. I'd meet someone great, things would start wonderfully, but as we grew closer in these relationships, I'd feel increasingly restless. Something wasn't clicking, and I didn’t know why.
Then in 2015, the company I worked for restructured and eliminated my position. Instead of panicking, I felt a surprising relief. It seemed like God was saying, "Okay, John, time to discover what I'm really calling you to do."
During that time of searching and praying, there was yet another surprise. It became clear that God was calling me to be a priest. I was shocked, nervous, excited. Answering that call meant giving up my dreams of marriage and family. Yet I remembered my dad's words about trusting God's plan, and there was a growing attraction to giving everything to Christ without looking back.
From those early days in seminary until today, I've been amazed at how rich life has become. I have trials and tough days like all of us, but I've learned that God uses every challenge to help me love more like Him. I’ve learned that my deepest fears and heartaches are no longer something to control or escape, but something to bring to Jesus, whose Divine Mercy envelopes and heals.
In Luke 6:38, Jesus says that “the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” I have found that when I am willing to give everything to God, that's when I receive everything from God. It is a daunting leap of courage and trust, but something in me longs for that total giving of self, and its rewards are unsurpassable.
My prayer for myself and for all of us at Holy Cross parish is for this grace: to give God increasingly more of our lives that He may continue to transform us, our neighborhood, and our world by the power of His saving love. It is an honor and a joy to serve as your new priest. I am looking forward to meeting each of you!
Fr. John Rumpza is the newly assigned parochial vicar at Holy Cross Church.