Looking back as he prepares to leave his post as director of pastoral formation at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul — and to retire after 44 years of active ministry — Father Michael Skluzacek said it is hard to pick the greatest joys of being a priest.
“I’d say the number one joy is celebrating the sacraments,” he told “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley. “That, by far, is the greatest joy, to be able to celebrate the Eucharist. After 44 years, that’s still the highlight of every day, when I’m able to celebrate the Eucharist. Right up with that would be celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation, hearing confessions.”
He also has found joy in helping form priests at the seminary, including directing the program that places seminarians in parishes to learn by doing pastoral work, Father Skluzacek said. And a particular treasure is working with about nine seminarians each year to help guide them individually, he said.
As he prepares to leave his post at the seminary and retire in August, Father Skluzacek said, he looks forward to doing more traveling, such as leading pilgrimages to Our Lady of Lourdes in France or doing ministry in Alaska.
“I’m definitely going to do priestly things, hopefully until the day I die,” he said. “So, helping in parishes, preaching, doing funerals, hearing confessions, all those things. I mean, that’s my love, and I hope to do those kinds of things in retirement.”
Father Brian Gross — a priest of the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota — will be the next director of pastoral formation at the seminary. Asked what advice he might give Father Gross, Father Skluzacek said he suggests “lean on his team,” the staff in the pastoral formation department.
To hear more about Father Skluzacek’s ministry at the seminary, a bit about his vocation story and what people can do to foster vocations, tune into the “Practicing Catholic” episode that debuts at 9 p.m. April 19 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. April 20 and 2 p.m. April 21.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the program also includes Father Gross talking about his years of ministry in northwestern North Dakota, and Deacons Brent Bowman and Sean Mulcare as they prepare to be ordained with 11 other priestly ordinands May 25 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
