January 29, 2012

           This month we warmly welcome Fr. F. John Ringley as a weekend assistant.  I am grateful to Bishop Lori who officially assigned Fr. Ringley here as of January 1st.   His responsibilities will include Wednesday afternoons and Sundays here at the parish.  This will also allow me to take Wednesdays off from the parish.  Fr. Ringley will continue to be the chaplain at Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport, and live at St. Patrick Church, right down the street from the high school.  

            Many of you already know Fr. Ringley from a mission he gave here at St. Mary Church, a piano concert he performed here at the parish, for his annual help with the Holy Week liturgies, and for his fine preaching.  For those who sometimes attend St. Stanislaus Church in New Haven for the Extraordinary Form, you have seen him there as well.  Here is a brief biography to help you to get to know our new priest.

            Fr. Ringley was born in Chicago and then grew up in Arkansas.  He has three sisters and one brother.  His mother died in 2006 and his father currently lives in Texas.  He graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in music, specializing in piano, and went on to get a Masters degree in music at the University of Arkansas.  Fr. Ringley then worked for a number of years as an accomplished pianist, both writing and performing.  

            While discerning his vocation as a priest, Fr. Ringley encountered the St. John Fisher Seminary of our diocese in the early 1990’s.  He was so impressed with the quality of the program that he decided to enter even though he had no formal connection with the Diocese of Bridgeport.

            After studying at the St. John Fisher Seminary, Fr. Ringley studied in Rome at the North American College and was ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ in 2001.  His first assignment was St. Lawrence in Huntington, CT where he enjoyed great success with the youth until he was transferred to be chaplain of Kolbe Cathedral in 2009. 

            With his background in music, Fr. Ringley can sing Holy Mass quite well, and is also gifted in languages.  He is an accomplished Latinist, he speaks Italian, and last summer he went away to study in an intensive Spanish course.  He is also therefore able to offer the Spanish Mass.   Fr. Ringley practices his piano every day and is an active runner as well.

            Every priest is a gift from God, with his own unique talents which God uses to communicate the His truth and His love.  I am grateful to have such a fine priest with us, and I am sure you will all learn to appreciate very soon what a gift Fr. Ringley is to St. Mary Church. Please pray for Fr. Ringley and all priests.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Greg J. Markey
frmarkey@hisnet.org

Fr. Markey’s new book, Discovering the Camino de Santiago, published by Roman Catholic Books, is now on sale in St. Mary Bookstore.  The book gives the history to the ancient pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James, and documents Fr. Markey’s personal pilgrimage in 2009.  The book can also be found online at www.BooksforCatholics.com.