Meet Father Miniatt
About
I have been serving St. Mary and Sons of Zebedee since June 18, 2019. My role of the parish priest is ultimately three-fold: teaching the faith, sanctifying God’s people by celebrating the sacraments with and for them, and governing with Christ-like love.
To share a bit more about myself: I managed my parents’ dairy farm my last three years of high school (my dad was a full-time engineer at the time). After high school (I was homeschooled all the way!), I entered St. Joseph College Seminary (Loyola University) in Chicago, where I studied for two years. After that, I transferred to the American College in Leuven, Belgium (Catholic University of Leuven), where I completed a Bachelor’s in Philosophy. The next educational stop was the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where I earned a Bachelor’s in Theology (STB) from the Gregorian University. After ordination to the priesthood, I continued to work on a License (think Masters in American terms) in Liturgy. It has taken longer than I wanted it to, but I am almost done!
There are many reasons I like being a part of the parish! I love the people of the parishes, and I find helping them to grow in holiness to be incredibly rewarding. I like that these are rural, small-town parishes that still have an intimate feel. I appreciate the beautiful, historic church buildings, since they help people to draw closer to God through the transcendence of the art and architecture.
Contact Information
Favorite Saint
Our Lady. But after her, this has always been a hard question for me to answer! St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John Vianney, and Old Testament prophets like Elijah, Elisha and Jeremiah support and inspire me as well.
Favorite Bible Verse
“For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45). This has long been a favorite.
Random Fact
I celebrated the weddings of all three of my married siblings (I currently have 6 unmarried siblings!), and the first wedding was exactly one week after I was ordained a priest!
Hobbies
I enjoy playing old-time fiddle, bluegrass and Irish music. I like reading (though I don’t do enough of that these days), taking walks and spending time with people.