4 minute read
Sauk Centre Welcomes Back Fr. Jeremy Theis
Over the last few months, you have likely seen a familiar smiling face here at our Sauk Centre parishes. We are thrilled to welcome Fr. Jeremy Theis back to the area as our new Associate Pastor! Fr. Theis has been assigned to our area before, serving us from 2014 to 2016. His return marks a happy homecoming to our three cluster parishes, as well as an exciting new welcome to the other three parishes in our Area Catholic Community.
Fr. Theis and his seven siblings were raised in a small town by devoutly Catholic parents. The family prayed a Rosary together each night after dinner, and Fr. Theis still remembers the prayer group meetings his parents attended weekly. He joined the Army at age 17 and later went to college to become a teacher. After teaching junior high geography and world cultures in Willmar for six years, Fr. Theis became Dean of Students. He remained in that role until his call to the seminary four years later.
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Reflecting on his path to the priesthood, Fr. Theis marvels at how quickly he discerned his vocation in the Church. It all began when he was dating an evangelical Christian who called his Catholic faith into question, inspiring Fr. Theis to learn as much as he could about the faith in order to better defend it.
Not long after, in November 2007, Fr. Theis experienced a truly revelatory moment.
“There was a ‘light switch moment’ when I went from wanting to marry a nice Catholic girl to knowing I was called to seminary,” he says. “It was something that my grandmother had said to me, and in that moment, it was an instant feeling of peace. I had never even thought of [a vocation to the priesthood] before then. That was on a Sunday, and by Tuesday I was meeting with the vocations director!”
Fr. Theis attended St. Paul Seminary and then went on to complete his theological studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. He was ordained on June 21, 2014.
Fr. Theis loves serving the Church as a priest in many ways. As a former educator, he has a particular fondness for teaching the faith.
“I love to preach and teach,” he says. “Just like anybody who teaches knows, the big picture is when you’re watching those ‘ah-ha’ moments where it clicks for people, where the faith makes sense and it becomes a real thing in their lives. It’s usually a Holy Spirit moment that someone has through a confession or an adorationrelated event. That especially happens with kids.”
Following his first priestly assignment here in Sauk Centre, Fr. Theis served as the pastor of St. Mary in Upsala, St. Edward in Elmdale, and St. Francis of Assisi in St. Francis. He is both thankful for the years he spent in that welcoming faith community and for this new opportunity to serve the people of Sauk Centre once again, this time including parishioners from St. Paul, St. Alexius, Our Lady of the Angels, St. Francis de Sales, St. Donatus, and Sts. Peter and Paul.
Working alongside Fr. Greg and visiting the school are two of the things Fr. Theis is most looking forward to during his time with us.
“Fr. Greg is a really, really good Pastor, so I hope to continue to pick up his leadership techniques and vision,” he says. “I’m also super excited about the school — that’s my wheelhouse. I like to go and play with the students on the playground, talk to kids about individual issues or concerns, and go into the classrooms.”
Just as in teaching, Fr. Theis realizes that many times as a priest, he may not realize the extent of the impact he is having on the lives of his parishioners right away. His prayer is that God is able to use him to plant the seeds of holiness, even if the fruit is not evident for some time. When asked for advice on growing in faith, Fr. Theis has a simple, yet compelling, answer.
“Go to confession,” he says. “That’s always first and foremost because it is not only the forgiveness of our sins, but it can really change the way we live our lives and treat others. We can show others mercy when we know His mercy for us. I would also encourage parishioners to pray for their priests and pray for their bishops. If we are happy and holy, that affects the people.”
The faithful of our Area Catholic Community are certainly blessed to have Fr. Theis return to our parishes, and we extend to him a warm and enthusiastic “welcome back!”
