Twice a Father

North Texas Catholic
(Jul 24, 2024) Take-Five-With-Father

NTC/Juan Guajardo

HE IS: Father Joseph Moreno, pastor of St. Jude Thaddeus Parish in Burkburnett; St. Paul Parish in Electra; and Christ the King Parish in Iowa Park.

CALLED: Fr. Moreno was married with a daughter and worked as an IT security specialist. He initially discerned a call to the diaconate, but after the death of his wife, he entered seminary to study for the priesthood.

ORDAINED: May 22, 2021, at St. Patrick Cathedral.

FATHER FIGURE: Raising a daughter helped prepare him for spiritual fatherhood. “You know how to be a father: nurturing the family, leading the family, caring for the family, loving as a father does, being merciful, kind, and generous. But also being firm and correcting, when it’s necessary.”

BUSINESS MAN: Experience in the corporate world helps him lead parishes. “I can make a budget; I know organizational design and management; I know systems theory; I know conflict management.”

BEST PART OF PRIESTHOOD: “Getting to celebrate the Holy Mass every single day. Through that sacrament, more than any of the rest, the graces of Christ enter into the world and spill out through the Church.”

WELCOME HOME: Fr. Moreno appreciates “being in the confessional, and anointing of the sick, especially those who have been away for so long. I couldn’t tell you how many people I’ve had in the confessional or anointing, either at home or at the hospital, who have been away from the Church for decades, and I realize that God is working through me through these sacraments to snatch them from the grasp of Satan.” 

A IS FOR AUTHENTIC: “It’s important for priests to regard every single gesture, every single posture, every single word, every single rubric as a sacred duty, a duty to do it well. If we’re sloppy with the way we celebrate the liturgy, then we’re going to get sloppy beliefs, and we’re going to get sloppy Catholic living.
“It’s simply doing what the Church has asked us to do — authentically.”

THIS MIGHT HURT: “When I preach, I preach the entire Gospel and not just what’s comfortable. Some homilies, you’re going to say, ‘This is great.’ You’re going to have some homilies where you want to throw something at me, and that’s okay. 
“I’m not here for your applause. I’m here to lead you to heaven, to lead you to Christ, so I don’t hold back, and I always tell the truth, which is what a father does.”

PARISH PLANS: Being the pastor of three parishes “is like having three different children in the house. I do enjoy that because it gives me a greater variety of communities to interact with. The challenge is — it means my time and my attention is split between them.”
He has focused on developing the transcendental virtues of beauty, goodness, and truth by enhancing the aesthetics of the churches and grounds, building community within the parishes, and increasing formation opportunities.

GOOD KNIGHT: Fr. Moreno has grown the Knights of the Altar from three altar servers to more than 15, stating their focus on decorum and reverence “really helps elevate the liturgy.”

FULLY ENGAGED: “The more faithfully you live the Catholic faith, the more you discover that the totality of your being is engaged. Your heart, your soul, your mind, your body, all of it. It’s one of the beauties of the Catholic faith.”

THE TAKEAWAY: “If we just put God first, we will learn just how much richer, fuller, and easier navigating life will become.”

Take 5 with Father, Father Joseph Moreno, pastor, St. Jude Thaddeus Parish, St. Paul Parish, Christ the King Parish, trending-english