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Why I became a Paulist; An Interview with John Kenny, C.S.P. |
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Fr. John
Kenny was not one to wait for fate to
decide his future. Born in Chicago, he
was raised in a Catholic family. He was
familiar with the priesthood, having an
Uncle who was (and still is) a priest, and
a brother who became a priest as
well. John served as an altar boy,
looked up to many of the priests in his
parish and school, and was especially
moved by a Paulist who came to his school
one day to speak about vocations.
John asked for more information and was
suprised to learn that the Paulists had a
church in Chicago. "I simply struck out
on my own, found the church and rectory,
and rang the doorbell," Father John
recalls.
Seeds can be
planted in small and significant ways.
During the vocation talk John was
intrigued by the "Paulist Trailer
Missions." In these missions, Paulist Priests
would roll down the highway, with a chapel
trailer hitched to the back of their car,
and arrive to preach and teach, in the
tucked-away locals of the Protestant
South. (This kind of ministry provides
new meaning of what it is to be a Holy
Roller!)
From visions
of mobile ministry, John found himself
immediately involved in a different
capacity. He was recruited to bring his
experience as an altar boy to serve for
locally reknown Paulist High
Masses in Chicago. Then, upon
graduation from high school he entered the
Minor Seminary. Next came the Novitiate
and six years of Seminary. The life
involved "a rigid routine, and long
periods of silence." John again took
charge and enlivened his days with two
special interests.
He headed up
the Catholic Evidence Guild.
This guild required researching a topic,
building a soapbox, standing on it in a
public place, speak convincingly of the
topic while drawing in a crowd. It also
meant being badgered with questions. John
often picked easy topics...like the
papacy! His other interest was working
with The Paulist Feature Service.
He was charged with writing articles,
or using other's writings on religion or
morality, and preparing them for
publication in 400 newspapers around the
country. All this before being ordained!
What was on
the other side of the door when Fr. John
rang that bell many years ago? A world
awaited him that would require many skills
and good leadership. He has taught
French, Latin, and Gregorian Chant, served
at University Parishes, Newman Centers,
been the director of the Catholic
Information Center, studied in Jerusalem
and Belgium, built churches, and had one
set on fire and burnt down by an arsonist.
Assignments were not always easy. "While
serving as Pastor for two churches in
South Carolina, we were building a
third. When the crane arrived to put
on the cupula, I started to have chest
pains, and before the final touches were
completed, I was in the hospital having
quadruple bypass surgery. I was back by
midnight Mass on Christmas however!"
For a man who has knocked on doors, rang bells, traveled highways, and reached countless souls, he simply says, "It is a great life, you can do a whole lot of good." |
"It's
a great life; you can do a whole lot of
good."
Rev. John Kenny, C.S.P. |
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