I am Fr. Jim Rutkowski and I have been a priest for 34 years. I was born, raised, and educated in St. Louis, Missouri. As a young priest I was mentored and trained by some of the finest people I have ever met. These included Monsignor Martin Hellriegel, a liturgist, and Fr. (now Bishop) Paul Zipel. These men instilled in me an abiding passion for our liturgy and sacred music. I was fortunate enough to spend several years studying in Rome where I experienced the profound reverence inspired by the history surrounding that beautiful city.
I have four brothers and one sister. It took my parents about 20 years to have all those children.
I am the fourth and my sister is the youngest. My parents were married sixty-three years before my mother died in 2002. Then my father lived with me for the next five years before dying in 2007. He was 94 years old. I have 32 years before I catch up to that record. My father was a repo-man and a great storyteller. Among our Texas friends, he became known as “Fast Eddie” cause he was hard to keep up with. I finally got him to quit driving back home to St Louis when he was 92. My sister, Mary, was the first to move to Texas. She went to the University of the Incarnate Word and got a degree in nursing. She married a Texan. My older brother, Paul, lived in Plano for many years and his
children settled in Austin. I moved to Texas in 1999 to be clinical director of the Catholic Counseling Center, a division of Catholic Charities of San Antonio. My mother had a stroke that same year and my father and brother, Wally, struggled to care for her until in 2001, I prevailed upon them to move to San Antonio to be cared for at the Incarnate Word Retirement community, where I celebrated daily and Sunday Masses. They moved here on September 10, 2001, my birthday. Today, I have a brother, Edwin, who lives in Seattle; Paul, who lives in Bulverde; Wally, who lives here in San Antonio; and Bob, who lives in St Louis. Mary lives in Alamo Heights.
While I am first and foremost a priest, I am also a trained, licensed psychotherapist. In early 1999, I had the opportunity to move to San Antonio, which I now call home, to serve as a therapist at the Catholic Consultation Center. Later, in 2002, I requested a formal transfer from St. Louis to San Antonio. Archbishop Flores agreed and I have been a diocesan priest ever since.
I served as the administrator of Mission Concepcion for the last eight years and absolutely loved it. The beauty and history surrounding the mission allowed me to serve my community through liturgy and music—two aspects of my ministry that are very dear to me.
I now have the opportunity to serve this wonderful parish, St. Ann’s, and I look forward to this. As the Bible tells us, one person sows but another person reaps. I fully understand and appreciate that, in coming to this parish at this time, I am the recipient of the diligent and dedicated labor of others. Fr. John and you, the faithful parishioners, have done much to maintain and beautify St. Ann’s church. I am also aware and grateful for the service that the faithful Dominican order has provided to this community. May God continue to bless them in their ministry.
Everyone feels anxious when presented with change. You and I are no different in this. I know that it will take us a bit of time to get to know one another—but we will. I pledge to serve this community to the best of my ability. Along the way we will sing together a lot (I love to sing) and worship our Lord with reverence and joy.
Should you need to contact me please e-mail at nrutkowski@sbcglobal.net. God bless you.