Reverend Stephen Durkee

Pastor

+1-616-459-4662 ext.1202 Email Me

It is with great joy and anticipation that I begin my assignment as your new pastor here at Saint Thomas the Apostle. I want to begin by sharing a bit about myself and the journey that has led me to you.

I grew up just down the road in Caledonia. Before discerning the priesthood, I attended Central Michigan University, where I originally planned to become a high school math teacher and basketball coach. (Fun fact: I went to school with your very own Tim Horst, now Director of Faith Formation at Saint Thomas, so I already know you have great people here!) But God had other plans. During my second year at CMU, I fell deeply in love with my Catholic faith and felt a call to enter the seminary. That decision changed everything, and it remains one of the best decisions of my life. I was ordained a priest on June 3, 2017, at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Grand Rapids.

Over the past eight years of priesthood, I’ve been blessed with a wide variety of assignments. I began as associate pastor at Our Lady of Consolation in Rockford, where I learned so much about joyful priestly ministry and formed friendships that will last a lifetime. After that, I served as a priest-in-residence at Saint Robert of Newminster in Ada, where I witnessed firsthand the importance of being present to parishioners, especially in times of need (I was at Saint Robert during the onset of the Covid pandemic).

Most recently, I’ve had the privilege of serving for just under five years as pastor of Saint Pius X Parish in Grandville. My time there was filled with many blessings, including a beautiful sanctuary renovation, an increase in Mass attendance, and the opportunity to baptize and welcome many new families into the life of the parish. But most importantly, I really saw people come alive in their Catholic Faith and especially in Jesus Christ. The people of Saint Pius X taught me how to lead with love, listen with compassion, and trust more deeply in God’s providence. I will always be grateful for the way they supported and encouraged me in my vocation.

In the midst of these assignments, I was also entrusted with the role of Director of Priestly Vocations for the Diocese of Grand Rapids. It was a true joy to accompany young men as they discerned the Lord’s call to the priesthood. In this Jubilee Year of Hope, I want to encourage all of us to continue to pray for vocations. Our diocese has so many faith-filled, generous young men preparing for the priesthood, and I’m filled with hope for the future. But the harvest is abundant and we need more laborers. Priesthood is joyful, life-giving, and deeply fulfilling and I know the Lord is still calling. Let’s pray that more hearts will respond with courage and trust. I pray we can continue to foster a culture of vocations here at Saint Thomas.

I am truly excited to begin this time with all of you at Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish. I can’t wait to get to know you, to hear your stories, and to walk together as a community of faith. Please keep me in your prayers as I begin this new assignment and know of my prayers for you!