Fr. Jerry Riney looks up at the rose window in St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC

BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC

Fr. Jerry Riney has always been moved by the stained glass windows adorning St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. Especially the rose window above the choir loft.

Fr. Riney interprets the window as representing a cross, “encircled by God’s unconditional, extravagant love which empowers us to reach out to others.”

He thinks the twelve teardrop-shaped glass portions that branch out from the cross design could be interpreted as the 12 apostles, but he personally sees them as representing “us,” with the cross “empowering us to go forth to proclaim the Good News and proclaim God’s presence to people.”

“Everyone has a cross,” he told The Western Kentucky Catholic in a July 6, 2021 interview.

Up until several months earlier, Fr. Riney had served as the rector of St. Stephen Cathedral.

But on April 14, he experienced two strokes.

Fr. Riney went on a medical leave, but then on May 10 announced that after much discernment and conversations with Bishop William F. Medley, doctors and family members, he would be officially retiring on June 8.

“Though not an easy decision after 46 years of priestly ministry, I trust the promptings of God’s Spirit deep down in my soul,” he wrote in the May 10 announcement.

Fr. Jerry Riney places ashes on the forehead of Bishop William F. Medley on Feb. 26, 2020 during the Ash Wednesday noon Mass at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC

At age 72, Fr. Riney is a few years short of ordinary priestly retirement, but “I believe it’s good timing; God’s timing,” he told the WKC.

He realizes his ministry “has come full circle,” after being ordained a priest of the Diocese of Owensboro inside St. Stephen Cathedral in 1975, and ultimately being brought back to serve as its rector many years later.

Fr. Riney said he remembers lying prostrate on the floor of the same cathedral: “Little did I know…”

Even beyond the cathedral, Fr. Riney feels blessed to have served in so many corners of the diocese throughout his active priesthood.

“It has been a blessing to see a larger scope of the diocese,” said Fr. Riney, who served at St. Mary of the Woods Parish in Whitesville; Owensboro Catholic High School; St. Jerome Parish in Fancy Farm; St. Denis Parish in Hickman County and St. Jude Parish in Clinton; St. Thomas More Parish in Paducah; Rosary Chapel in Paducah; St. Mary Parish in LaCenter; and Holy Spirit Parish in Bowling Green.

He has loved the names of the various parishes he has served over the years.

For example, when serving as associate pastor of St. Mary of the Woods, Fr. Riney strongly connected with Mary’s “openness to God’s call.” And at St. Jerome Parish, he admired the saint who helped translate and make the scriptures more accessible to the people.

At St. Thomas More Parish, he loved that the saint was a layman who lived by his “supremacy of conscience” and at Holy Spirit Parish, “during that time the gifts and fruits of God’s spirit were so evident in my life and the life of the parish.”

Helping God’s people

Fr. Riney said that when he was first ordained, he was more interested in black-and-white views of faith.

“But I quickly learned that God’s people wanted something that would just help them get through the week,” he said.

He learned that “my pastoral presence was key. Listening – active listening – is a big part of ministry,” said Fr. Riney.

Furthermore, he learned through encountering people in their struggles, that “not everything was so black and white. After sharing in peoples’ struggles, I learned there’s a lot of gray in the process,” he said.

“Everyone knows how bad they are, but not everyone knows how good they are,” said Fr. Riney. “With the woman at the well, with Zacchaeus, he affirmed them – and because of that, there was often a conversion experience.”

Fr. Riney said he felt the call to the priesthood from a young age, and so identifies strongly with the prophet Jeremiah – who was also called from a young age.

“The Lord said (to Jeremiah) don’t worry about what you’re going to say – I will put the words in your mouth,” said Fr. Riney.

“Sheer grace,” he added. “I almost dropped out of seminary because, like Jeremiah, I felt I could never get in front of people and speak. But the grace of God has been very active and powerful.”

And he has tried to trust like Jeremiah every step of the way.

“I love being a priest,” said Fr. Riney.

Stretched spiritually

During Mass celebrating Catholic Schools Week 2007 at St. Joseph Parish in Bowling Green, Fr. Jerry Riney blesses the children one by one as they come forward during Communion. COURTESY OF LARENA LAWSON

“’Sweet’ because I am being called to a new season, to slow down,” said Fr. Riney. “’Bitter’ because I will miss the faith community and being a part of that active living, loving and struggling faith community which always gave me great joy.”

He said his experiences have sometimes stretched him spiritually, and that “it’s not a bad thing to be stretched spiritually.”

“I truly believe the spirit of God is working, thriving and guiding us even at times when we might question,” said Fr. Riney.

“I’m grateful,” he said. “Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. Peoples’ goodness, kindness, hope, struggle, resilience, has buoyed me up at a time when I have been low.”

His favorite scripture passage is the Road to Emmaus, because of its teaching that “life is a journey and we are challenged to see Christ in the stranger and in the breaking of the bread,” he said. “Not to be alone: the power of the presence of Jesus walking with us.”

Passion for the faith

Everywhere he has served, something that has always given Fr. Riney great joy is when people who had been away from the Catholic Church came into full communion with the Church again.

“I felt they appreciated the gift of faith in a way sometimes cradle Catholics do not,” said Fr. Riney. He said he also observed that more often than not, these people tended to become active in a ministry or outreach.

“I’ve experienced that in every place I’ve been,” said Fr. Riney.

Two of his favorite sacraments have been the Eucharist and Reconciliation. He is glad that he will continue to do ministry and substitute at weekend Masses and other sacraments as needed.

“The Sacrament of Reconciliation always humbles me,” he said. “I so admire peoples’ humility in celebrating God’s love in that sacrament.”

Furthermore, the people of God, in “living their faith, have certainly inspired me and supported me as a priest,” said Fr. Riney. “Working together as a mystical body, despite our differences.”

Originally printed in the August 2021 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.