Father Stanley DeBoe, O.SS.T.

Our Trinitarian Biography for April 2023 is Father Stanley DeBoe, O.SS.T., Pastor at Incarnation - St. James in Trenton, New Jersey.

***Please pray for him during this month as you enjoy his replies.***

I was ordained on June 4, 1983 at Holy Redeemer Parish, College Park, MD. At the time, I was serving as the Director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry. Although the parish is not staffed by the Trinitarians, the community had a very close relationship there.

My favorite aspect of the priesthood is the many ways I have encountered Christ in his "disguises" (St. Mother Teresa's word, not mine!) Welcoming a young couple just beginning their married lives or celebrating the birth of a child; those at the end of their lives preparing to meet the Lord face to face, and the many other moments in between. They have challenged me to always be open to God's amazing grace and power in our lives.

What different ministries have you had as a Trinitarian? I have been privileged to be involved in many ministries in my 40 years since ordination. Much of my time was spent in the area of social justice and international human rights. In that capacity, I was very involved in the reestablishing of the ministry to the Persecuted Church in the 1980s. I served as foreign affairs advisor to a Member of Congress, the director of the Center for Jewish Christian Values, and as the Justice and Peace Director for the Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes. I have also been involved in the ministry of education at DeMatha Catholic High School and at Trinity College (now Washington Trinity University). I have served in parish ministry as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Victoria, Texas; and I am currently the pastor at Incarnation-St. James Church in Trenton, New Jersey.

Perhaps my most powerful moment of my priesthood was during a trip to China when I was able to make contact and spend time with the Underground Church there. I attended a Mass with the persecuted Catholics on the feast of the Epiphany -- not in a church building but in a farm field in a very remote village. Afterwards I met with and ate with the priests and the people. Later that day I had the privilege to meet with a bishop who had spent many years in a work camp and had been released just a few weeks earlier. He celebrated Mass for our small group in his one room apartment and I was able to concelebrate with him. He has remained an example for me in whatever ministry I have had since then.

Favorite Food: I have not met a food that I didn't like!

 What Do You Do in Your Free Time? In my free time (which I've learned pastors don't have much of) I enjoy reading -- particularly history, biography, and spirituality/theology. I enjoy cooking and I have started a "Wednesday Simple Supper" program at Incarnation-St. James, inviting small groups of parishioners to join me and to discuss faith and parish life. As a history buff I like to visit historical sites. This is the first time I've been stationed in New Jersey for a long time and am taking advantage of exploring Philadelphia, the area around Trenton, and NYC. And if that's not enough for me I enjoy time with my Bichon Friese, Snow.

During the month of April, please remember Father Stan DeBoe, O.SS.T. in your daily prayers!

Thank you, Father Stan! GLORY TO THE TRINITY.