MORE ABOUT FR. THOMAS KRENIK
I grew up on a dairy farm near Montgomery, Minnesota. That town’s claim to fame is being the Kolache capital of the world. (A Kolache is a wonderful Czech pastry.) Being the oldest of ten children, it’s not surprising I learned early on the value of hard work and responsibility. We lost my father to cancer in the year 2000. My mother passed in early 2019 at the age of 92, having stayed on the family farm with one of my brothers who does organic farming.
My education included seminary formation at our college and theological seminaries in St. Paul, Minnesota. My degrees include Master in Theology, Master in Spirituality, and Doctor of Ministry. In 1977 I was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. For twelve years I served as an associate pastor of four different parishes in the Twin Cities area. Then I served for ten years on the faculty of The Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul as spiritual director. From 1999 to 2011, I served as the pastor of The Church of St. Richard in Richfield, a parish of 1000 households. Currently I am pastor of The Church of the Risen Savior, a parish of nearly 3000 households. It is a very vibrant, multi-cultural parish, with about 20% Latino parishioners. In my leisure time I enjoy being out in nature, traveling, reading, sharing a meal with friends, and listening to classical music. I also like to write and have written two books. My first book, published in 1999, is titled Formation for Priestly Celibacy – not a best seller but an important work for seminary students and faculty which is used in seminary formation programs throughout the country. In 2011 I published my second book titled Praying With Both Lungs: A Communion of East and West. This book was inspired by Pope John Paul II’s imagery about the need to breathe with both lungs in the Church (East and West). It describes and outlines fifteen different prayer forms from the rich treasury of both the East and West. Fr. Thomas Krenik |