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Priest
Biography
Fr. Jerry Kautzman
Ordination: May 28, 1959
Diocese: Bismarck, N. Dakota
Retired: 2000 (does substitution work)
WWME Weekend: Early 1970’s
What or who influenced you to enter the priesthood:
The Bishop agreed to assist in financing my education and that opened
the door. If he had declined to do so, I would not have been ordained.
Once the door opened, my journey to the priesthood continued.
Seminaries:
Crosier, Onamia, MN; St. Mary’s University, Winona, MN; St.
Thomas, Denver, CO
Assignments:
Pastor – Dickinson, Mandan, New Leipzig, Foxholm
Catholic High School Teacher – Dickinson, Minot and Bismarck,
ND
Hobbies & Interests:
Traveling & Reading (although macular degeneration is limiting
eyesight)
Highs and Lows of ministry:
High: My last pastorate at Queen of Peace in Dickinson, ND
Low: The very lowest was the first six years as an assistant to
a cold pastor, before Vatican II.
What inspires you?:
Centering Prayer has been my latest and greatest inspiration. God
isn’t as scary as I thought He might be.
What lowers your self-esteem?
I lose self-esteem mostly because of my own negative attitudes or
when I listen to other negative folks.
How has WWME helped or supported you in your ministry/priesthood?
After ordination, I was assigned to a cold, an authoritarian pastor
so I didn’t experience any early romance in priesthood. WWME
opened me to how important it is to learn how to love which is the
bottom line in life. So, after retirement, I’ve decided to
go back to doing Weekends.
Your suggestion for promoting WWME:
The best method is by personal invitation. However, pulpit talks
have also been effective.
Your Hopes and Dreams for WWME:
My dream is to keep on learning how to love more deeply and to share
that love with the foundational sacrament of marriage. The love
of husband and wife is the foundation of the Church and the greatest
need in the world today.
Click
here for a printable page (PDF, 5KB)
We at eMatrimony
have asked all the WWME presenting priests to share their stories
so we might honor them for their “yes” to God, the church,
and to WWME. We also hope that through reading the stories in this
ongoing series, you will be inspired to promote and encourage priest
vocations.
A big thank you goes to the priests who are sharing their stories
with us. This is a developing series, so Father, if you have not
yet shared your story with us, we are anxious to hear from you.
Click here for more information
on how you can submit your story.
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