A Grateful Parish, A Grateful Jesuit

Father F. Warren Schoeppe says a fond farewell

The gala farewell included people of all ages. Once Fr. Schoeppe made an appearance, it took just moments for a long line to form for farewells and best wishes.

by Barbara Stinson Lee
Intermountain Catholic

BRIGHAM CITY — Jesuit Father F. Warren Schoeppe, for 22 years the pastor of St. Henry Parish in Brigham City, combined two big events in his life - his retirement and his 50th anniversary as a priest – then asked his parishioners not to bring any presents.

“I’m retiring,” he was heard to say. “I’m just going to get in my car and go.”

Fr. Schoeppe is leaving Brigham City for the Jesuit retirement community in Los Gatos, Calif. After some months of rest there, he told the Intermountain Catholic he might take a look at what temporary assignments are available, something that isn’t a parish assignment.

Fr. Schoeppe said he trained all of his young life to be a teacher, but as soon as he earned his teaching certificate, he never taught again. His parishioners would differ.

“He’s always been a teacher,” said Karen Roesler, who has lived in St. Henry Parish for 17 years. “When I was brand new to the parish, he asked me to be the DRE (director of religious education). He was a wonderful shepherd, and he guided me along the whole process. He taught me that the Catholic Church is not a democracy. But when, after seven years as a DRE, it was time for me to return to public school teaching, he helped me do that, too.”

Deeply concerned about the religious education of his flock, Fr. Schoeppe oversaw the building of Mission Santa Ana in Tremonton, then built the education hall at St. Henry. “Once a teacher, always a teacher", said Mary Ann Barnett, the parish’s current DRE. She carried with her Fr. Schoeppe’s three guarantees, which he’d taught the parents of the parish.

They are:

1) Let your child, as a regular thing, make decisions that are above his capacity; and he will learn to think of you as a fool.

2) Always say yes to your child’s demands and requests, and he will grow to hate you for failing to raise him wisely, and

3) Let your child indulge in pleasure to the detriment of work and effort, and he will not develop the skills he needs for life and he will blame you.

Cecil Noriega pens a with for Father Shoeppe. The wishes were put into a Best Wish Book.

“Fr. Schoeppe is a priest for the real reason Jesus wanted priests,” Barnett said. “He’s the real thing. He’s very intellectual, and he can explain the bigger purpose in words we can all understand. He tried to help people look at tomorrow and eternity.”

Donna Collins has lived in St. Henry Parish for 38 years. She has attended many of Fr. Schoeppe’s parties, carefully crafted to bring people in the parish together. “He had one game, ‘Find somebody who,’ and everyone was looking for me because they were trying to find somebody who was from Canada.”

Parishioners didn’t bring gifts bigger than would fit in an envelope, but they did bring food, and lots of it. Tables were constantly being replenished as more people arrived to pay their respects.

Terese Hunnel, 12 years at St. Henry, described Fr. Schoeppe as a “priest who loves his people. You can tell by the way he greets us after Mass, even if another priest celebrated the Mass, he really cares. You can go to him with any issue, and he will help you. That’s just the way he is. He has a great capacity for love, and he always wants the best for us."

Karl Meyersick is a newcomer to the parish. He’s only lived in St. Henry Parish for seven years.

“I’m a deacon candidate,” he told the Intermountain Catholic. “One of the motivating reasons was the peaceful wisdom of Fr. Schoeppe. You can feel his spirit and it makes you feel good. And the children. I’ve never seen a child that didn’t cling to him. When they come up at the end of Mass for a blessing, even if they don’t know what’s going on, there is no fear.”

After 50 years a priest, Fr. Schoeppe is ready to step out of the parish, take a rest, then take up something new to his priesthood, something less stressful.

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said, “avoiding the stress and still being able to give."

Link (here)