by Gordon Nary
Gordon: When and where were you born and what is one of your favorite childhood memories?
Father John: I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in August 1962, less than two months before the Cuban Missile Crisis and the opening of Vatican II. I have an identical twin brother, Chris, who was born just four minutes after me. He’s been married more than 35 years and has been blessed with a wonderful wife, 4 children and now 3 grandchildren, as well as a successful law practice in suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul. I also have five sisters and a younger brother who has passed from this life to the next. One favorite memory that I was only recently recalling was watching the annual Circus Parade in downtown Milwaukee from the window of a Dreyer-Meyer, a store that my grandparents owned. It was a beautiful day, we had a great view, and everyone seemed happy.
Gordon: What colleges and universities did you attend and what degrees did you earn?
Father John: I spent my first 2 ½ years of college at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. When I joined the Capuchins’ candidacy program, I moved and completed my B.A. (Political Science) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1984. I earned an M.Div. from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1993, and in 2000 I earned a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. I later earned a certificate in Church Management from the Villanova School of Business in 2010 and another certificate from the Michigan State University CHRO Leadership Academy in 2023.
Gordon: What was your favorite course at college and why was it your favorite?
Father John: In my undergraduate studies, probably my two favorite courses were Astronomy at UWSP, taught by Norman Higginbotham and Constitutional Law at UWSP taught by Marvin Summers. I found the subjects very interesting and the enthusiasm and teaching excellence of the professors were even greater motivators. At CTU, my favorite classes were Eucharist with my confrere Ed Foley, OFM Cap., Preaching with Fr. Richard Fragomeni, and the Scripture courses taught by Sr. Diane Bergan, CSA, Sr. Barbara Bowe, RSCJ and Sr. Barbara Reid, OP. They were all masters of their subjects, engaging lecturers, and pushed us as students. At Georgetown, I especially appreciated the Property course taught by Prof. Ernst, Constitutional Law by Prof. David Cole, Social Welfare Law & Policy by Dr. Peter Edelman, and the Alternative Dispute Resolution courses I took with Prof. Carrie Menkel-Medow. Those courses have probably had the biggest impact on my ministry.
Gordon: When you received your vocation, with whom did you first discuss it, and what was their advice?
Father John: My father was a big influence, both in my earlier call to be a priest and my later call to be a Capuchin. He was a faithful Catholic who wanted his children to be the best they could be in whatever fields they chose. Dad was very supportive when I brought it up, but he was also cautious because I was relatively young. He wanted to make sure that I saw all the good opportunities that were out there and thought it was a good idea to get a taste of the world before I made my definitive choice in real freedom. It delayed my pursuit a bit, but it was good advice.
Gordon: Why did you choose to be a Capuchin?
Father John: I and my two brothers were blessed to be students and graduates of St. Lawrence Seminary High School in Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin. It’s been run by the Capuchins since 1860 and is one of less than a handful of minor seminaries still open in the USA. It was the example of some of the friars we had as teachers, mentors and coaches as well as an experience of our ministries in Milwaukee that piqued my interest in the Capuchins.
Gordon: When did you serve as Provincial Minister Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph and what were your primary responsibilities?
Father John: I served as Provincial Minister of our province from June 2008 to June 2014. The Provincial Minister serves as the religious superior and ordinary of the Province, its members and ministries, kind of a mixture of a bishop and CEO. However, it’s normally an elected office. There are a variety of duties, but the most important have to do with the lives of the friars—regular visitations, receiving new members, receiving simple and perpetual vows, celebrating jubilees, and presiding and preaching at funerals. The Provincial Minister is also assisted in his work by a Provincial Vicar and three other Provincial Councilors, as well as by some talented and dedicated lay men and women on staff, especially when it comes to the more “secular” parts of the ministry like finance, human resources, etc.
Gordon: When did you serve as President, JPIC Commission Capuchin Franciscan Order, Rome and what were your primary responsibilities?
Father John: I was on the JPIC Commission from 2006 to 2012, and served as President for a few years during that time. The main work of the commission was to animate the 9500+ other friars to be engaged in promoting justice, peace, and the integrity of creation. We did this through workshops, the creation of a JPIC handbook, and collaboration with other similar groups in the Franciscan Family.
Gordon: What is one of your favorite memories when you were Pastor St. Clare of Montefalco Parish Chicago?
Father John: There were many, but the ones that stand out the most were: the celebration of my 25th anniversary as a priest (2018), joined by my brothers and two sisters; the celebrations of diaconate ordinations we had there; the many fiestas and novenas (e.g., for Our Lady of Guadalupe); and one Easter Vigil where the light from the candles in the darkened church was really inspiring.
Gordon: When did you serve as Dean, Deanery? The Vicariate V Ministry Commission of the Archdiocese Chicago and what is their mission?
Father John: I served as Dean for just a couple of years (2018-2020). The deans serve as the “boots on the ground” for the Archbishop and his auxiliaries, and our role was basically helping to coordinate the pastoral activity in the area. Part of my role during that time was to accompany parishes, including my own, through the “Rebuild My Church” process of pastoral planning. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare; but the pastors and parishes shifted gears pretty quickly, offering Masses online, distributing food, masks and candles in our church parking lot, conducting funeral and memorial services, etc.
Gordon: When did you serve as Director North American Pacific Capuchin Conference Novitiate and what were your primary responsibilities?
Father John: I served as Director of the NAPCC Novitiate in Santa Ynez, California from 2020 to 2023, when I was called by my Provincial Minister to return to Detroit and my current role for the Province. As Novitiate Director, I worked with two other perpetually professed friars to help the novices deepen their lives of prayer and contemplation and to carefully discern whether the Lord was calling them to make simple vows as friars. The life of the novitiate is considerably more “monastic” than that of the typical Capuchin friary, and that’s by design. We spend a lot more time in personal and communal prayer and less time in external ministry. We learn the skills and values needed to live well (not perfectly) in community. We also have the support of a wonderful group of lay men and women in the area who love San Lorenzo Seminary (the location of the novitiate) and the friars, especially the novices, and who give their time, talent and treasure to help us.
Gordon: When did you start serving at Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph in Detroit. What position do you currently hold, and what are your primary responsibilities?
Father John: I began my current position as Director of Provincial Ministries and Human Resources in July 2023. My primary responsibilities are to oversee at a high level our six provincial ministries (parishes, soup kitchens, a retreat center, and a high school), several provincial offices, and our 250+ employees. None of it would be possible without the collaboration and daily work of our excellent ministry and office directors, our HR Team, and many others.
Gordon: What were your previous responsibilities at Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph?
Father John: I have served as Pastor of several other parishes: Our Lady Gate of Heaven—Chicago (1993-1997), St. Benedict the Moor—Milwaukee (2000-2004), and St. Martin de Porres—Milwaukee (2004-2008). The balance of my time has been in the area of formation, both initial formation and continuing formation.
Gordon: Congratulation on your nearly 32 years as a priest. What are three of your favorite memories during your priesthood?
Father John: The first was an Easter at St. Martin de Porres when we welcomed 19 or 20 people into the Church through the Sacraments of Initiation. Another was the dedication of the St. Benedict the Moor Community to supporting the St. Ben’s Community Meal and a host of other ministries to people who are poor, homeless or incarcerated. At OLGH, I always appreciated how engaged members were in making the Jeffrey Manor neighborhood better. The culmination of that was bringing a new Chicago Public Library branch to 100th St., just a block from the church.
Gordon: What are some of the challenges of evangelizing secular societies and how are they being addressed?
Father John: One challenge is that our religious literacy has declined, so we need to spend a lot more time introducing people to “the basics” of the Catholic faith. The media, too, is more secularized and some write about life in the church without really understanding it. Another challenge is indifference: when people don’t see faith and religion as relevant to their lives, they tend to ignore or dismiss it. The scandals in the Church and the failures of her ministers have further fed the skepticism that people have about religion and Christianity. We also have a relatively free society, and the moral or social constraints that may have kept people coming to church years ago no longer apply. For some, going to church on Sunday is no longer an obligation but just one choice among many like going to brunch or getting ready for a full day of the NFL. There are many programs and strategies being employed to evangelize, but the most effective is also probably the most timeless: inviting people to a conversation with someone who is authentically living or trying to live the gospel life as a member of the Body of Christ.
Gordon: For those who may not be acquainted with the Capuchin Order, please provide an overview of Capuchin spirituality.
Father John: First and foremost, the Capuchins are Franciscans. We were founded roughly 300 years after the death of St. Francis of Assisi as a reform movement in the early days of the Protestant Reformation. The Capuchin charism focuses on the Franciscan elements of simplicity, prayer, contemplation, service to and with the poor, and preaching. Unlike other religious communities (e.g., the Jesuits, Salesians, Alexian Brothers, etc.) we don’t have a particular apostolate but are involved in a great variety. In my own province, our spirituality is best seen at the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit and Capuchin Retreat in Washington, Michigan. If you want to find out more about us and our work, please visit www.thecapuchins.org.