This year, God has blessed the St. Robert community with a new associate pastor: Fr. Enrique. He has been spending a lot of time with the St. Robert students and teaching them more about their faith. After getting to know the new priest, many students have started to look forward to Friday masses with Fr. Enrique.

Father Enrique was born and raised in Columbia. He attended seminaries in Columbia, and when he moved to Wisconsin, he attended St. Francis de Sales Seminary. Before he became an associate pastor at St. Robert, he was the Vocation Promoter for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Fr. Enrique is also the Chaplain for Campus Ministry at UWM, so it is very likely to see him at 5:30 mass on Sunday, a popular mass for UWM students. 

Fr. Enrique recently decided to stop working at his old job where he had been working with college students and instead switched to St. Robert, so he could start preaching again. Fr. Enrique loved working with college students but said he missed teaching younger students and helping them grow in their faith. Along with working at St. Robert, Fr Enrique also works at Holy Family and has preached at many other schools, such as St. Francis in West Bend and St. Mary. 

St Robert students are very glad Fr. Enrique started preaching at St. Robert. One of these St. Robert students is Helen, a seventh grader, who says, “I’m glad we have a priest we know [and love].” Helen is one of many students who love Fr. Enrique’s masses and homilies. Helen particularly loves his homilies, and she expresses her new understanding when she says, “I like his homilies even more than some of our past priests because I can understand them and relate to them better.” Father Enrique enjoys sharing his homilies in a way that people can relate to them, connecting to his message directly. He explains how he creates his homilies in saying, “I read the mass [readings and gospel] then pray with them. [Next,] I read commentary, then I try and come up with a joke or story.” Most students enjoy listening to a story or a joke to brighten their day. It is especially helpful because those jokes or stories help kids learn more about God.

In conclusion, Fr. Enrique is a busy man as he seeks to help students any age all over the Milwaukee area. Fr. Enrique is welcomed with open arms to St. Robert, and the students and teachers are very lucky to have Fr. Enrique on the staff. He will continue to help each St. Robert students grow in their faith.