Fr. J. J. Schwall is officially installed as a pastor

Intermountain Catholic

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Vicar General Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald on behalf of the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City confirms Father John Joseph Schwall is named pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Oct. 26. Fr. J. J. promised to be a leader of the people and a teacher of the faith. IC photo by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — Father John Joseph "J. J." Schwall was officially made the 15th pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, at an Installation Mass Oct. 26.

Vicar General J. Terrence Fitzgerald of the Diocese of Salt Lake City celebrated the Mass, and said it might seem strange to have the ceremony of installation after Fr. J. J. has been at Our Lady of Lourdes for several months.

"This is an opportunity to welcome him and thank him for his generosity because transitions are never easy," said Msgr. Fitzgerald.

This transition will also affect parishioners from Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish in Logan from where Fr. J. J. was transferred. A group of Saint Thomas Aquinas parishioners came to the Mass to wish Fr. J. J. well in his new assignment. They will miss him.

"The people in Logan are wonderful," said Fr. J. J., who was ordained in May, 2006. Saint Thomas Aquinas was his first assignment.

In his homily, Msgr. Fitzgerald thanked Father William Flegge, who is retiring as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, for his service of five years, and for his warm welcome and help.

Msgr. Fitzgerald said Fr. J. J. inherits a wonderful community with great traditions. The parishioners are generous, they have adapted well to the changes that have come with time, they have produced good religious vocations, and many Catholic laity who have been active in church and community life. At Lourdes, support for Catholic education has been great. People care for each other and have a tradition of reverence and devotion.

"Fr. J. J. brings many gifts for the life of the parish," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "I am sure you have found him enthusiastic, positive, filled with joy, and totally committed to the parish. He will love the people. His life experience, especially that of his life in Wendover, should be helpful. Of course, we can’t overlook the fact that he brought his dear mother with him to keep him on the straight and narrow. They always say the first place a priest is pastor is a blessing for him and the people. We pray that be the case with Fr. J. J. and this parish community."

"I will love this parish, and I hope to be the priest you want me to be," said Fr. J. J., who became a priest at 57 years old.

"I can’t remember any one moment when I flipped from no to yes I want to be a priest," said Fr. J. J. "I think it was just a culmination of trying to improve my spiritual life for almost 12 or 14 years, and I got to know some of the priests in Utah. I was fortunate enough to have a couple of them ask me about going into the seminary.

"I think most of the guys I met in the seminary, as I learned their stories, I can’t think of any one of them who was not asked by a priest if they had thought about it," said Fr. J. J. "You know, really stressing trying. My attitude is if you are thinking going into the seminary, you should go. Because if the Lord does not like it, he will stop it. That might be a little harsh, but I encourage people to try. So much of the time, they are not going to know until they seriously try it.

Fr. J. J. said he did have occasion where that happened the night he was ordained. A man in his 30s came up to Fr. J. J. seeking advice. He was thinking about going into the seminary, but he was not quite sure. Fr. J. J. told him to go home and kneel down and tell the Lord he was going into the seminary, and if the Lord does not like it, he can stop you. This individual is now in a religious order.

"I do believe people should be asked about a vocation more than they are asked," said Fr. J. J. "I mean men and women, because one of the most negative changes our society has seen in the last decade is the decline in vocations for religious. So much of our country’s well being was that wealth which sprung out of the wonderful works the religious had been doing. That is sadly lacking now.

Fr. J. J. was born in Detroit, Mich., into a military family. His father was in the U.S. Air Force, and he lived all over the United States and Germany. He joined the U.S. Army and served as a medic during the Vietnam War.

Fr. J. J. was in the computer and casino business before entering the seminary.

"I went into Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisc., for second career vocations," said Fr. J. J. "The average age for guys there is about 46 years old. I was 52.

"I was living in Wendover at the time and attending San Filipe Parish," said Fr. J. J. "Because the priests have always come from Utah, I got to know them very well. I truly treasure Msgr. Fitzgerald, Msgr. Michael Winterer, pastor of Christ the King, who is a vocations director, Father Colin Birchumshaw, and Maryknoll Father Rick Bauer. Msgr. Winterer and Father Eugenio Yarce were was most instrumental in my vocation. Fr. Yarce because he was pastor at San Felipe and he kept encouraging me.

"I always thought you had to know at a young age that you wanted to be a priest, but Fr. Bauer, told me he left the seminary three times. You never know."