Recently retired priests in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have ministered for years in parishes across the archdiocese. The Catholic Spirit invited all priests who have retired since Sept. 1, 2022, to reflect on their ministries for this feature. The following priests — Father Patrick Hipwell, Father Terry Rassmussen and Father Steve Ulrick — agreed to be interviewed and share their stories with Barb Umberger and Dave Hrbacek, with photos by Dave Hrbacek.

Father Stephen Ulrick, who retires as pastor of Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata July 1, said that he has too many highlights of his priesthood to name but a few.

“A priest gets invited into very sacred areas of people’s lives,” Father Ulrick said. They run the gamut of life from birth to death, including marriages and family crises and celebrations. “They’re all sacred areas,” he said. As a priest, he can “bring the Church’s blessing, sometimes be that instrument of the Lord who reminds them that he’s there or he’s guiding them through whatever is taking place, or he’s celebrating with them, whatever the event is,” he said.

Father Ulrick, 69, said his long ministry has presented special moments, including sacramental ministry to children whose parents he knew as children years ago at previous parishes he served. At this year’s first Communion service, for example, the mother of one of the second graders was a woman he had offered first Communion to back when she worshipped at his former parish, St. Hubert in Chanhassen. And the father of one confirmation student was a student of Father Ulrick’s when he served at St. Joseph in Hopkins. “And the student’s mom was a second-grade teacher who helped mentor me into my teaching ministry by working with me,” preparing second graders for sacraments, he said. “So yeah, those memories are special.

“After 41 years of priesthood ministry, I get a lot of those and they’re special moments in a very special ministry,” Father Ulrick said. He also treasures the daily Mass communities that he’s been “privileged to walk with, to shepherd over the years.”

“As I move into retirement, that’s one of the things I will miss — that connection, unless the Lord fulfills it, and he’s going to fulfill it somehow,” Father Ulrick said.

Being with parishioners at those times is both humbling and “what I’ve been called to do,” Father Ulrick said. And with the exception of celebrating sacraments, it’s the part of his vocation that he enjoys the most. “But flowing from that, just being a part of people’s lives,” he said.

Before Holy Name of Jesus, Father Ulrick served as pastor of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Bloomington (2005-2011), pastor of St. Hubert in Chanhassen (1991-2005), parochial vicar of St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Paul Park (1989-1991), chaplain at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics, and United Hospital in St. Paul (1988-1989), parochial vicar at St. Joseph in Hopkins (1984-1988) and associate pastor of St. Matthew in St. Paul (1982-1984). He also served as a regional vicar for the archdiocesan Chancery (2013-2016), and he is a member of the Archdiocesan Corporate Board of Directors and the Archdiocesan Finance Council.

Holy Name of Jesus is “a very active parish,” Father Ulrick said, “and it’s a lot of fun.” For example, the parish has two youth ministers and 300 or more children on site for vacation Bible school. With younger children participating, middle school and high school students serve as mentors, he said.

His retirement plans are still unfolding, Father Ulrick said, but he wants to be available to assist priests. In fact, he is already helping some parishes on weekends. “Retired priests say you do keep busy,” he said, which he welcomes.

Father Ulrick also wants travel to be part of his retirement, though he has no particular destination in mind yet. He also enjoys biking.

Life will be different in retirement, not shepherding in the way he used to. “I don’t know what that’s going to look like, but I trust that the Lord has something in mind,” he said. “So, it’ll change, not end.”