Pastor Assignments Take Effect Aug. 3: Fr. Joseph Minuth, O.P.

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Fr. Joseph Minuth, O.P.

Fr. Joseph Minuth, O.P. was born in Modesto, Calif. and attended high school and college in Texas. He entered the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Mo. He was ordained a priest for the Order of Preachers, Province of St. Albert the Great, on May 14, 2011. He speaks English, conversational German and some Spanish.

After serving as a parochial pastor at three campus ministries at large universities, he came to the Diocese of Salt Lake City in 2019 and was named parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish in Ogden. This was followed by a year as parochial vicar of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Logan and chaplain of St. Jerome Newman Center at Utah State University. On Aug. 3 he will begin his new assignment as administrator of Holy Family Parish in Ogden.

What would you like your new parishioners to know about you?

I’m hoping to stay here for a very long time. I hope that’s good news. I like to be transparent because I’m their priest, and I’ve loved every assignment and community I’ve been a part of, but on my sixth assignment in 11 years as a priest, I’d love to settle in somewhere. At the same time, I’m equally as excited about moving to Holy Family. Not only was that the name of my childhood parish, but it’s an exciting community with an innate beauty that can maximize that potential a growing city offers.

What are you looking forward to most about your new assignment?

As a Dominican Friar, I experienced the Church in many different states and dioceses, from Colorado to Indiana. The Church in Utah is very unique, but it is changing rapidly due to domestic immigration. This means there is a natural and healthy conflict between the longtime Utahns and newcomers. I see this is an important part of my new ministry; how to preserve the good traditions while incorporating traditions and movements from other states, all in line with Catholic Tradition. Ultimately, I see this as the greatest opportunity for our Church, especially young and future generations of Catholics.

As a priest, what has been your greatest challenge?

I think the hardest part of being a priest is rising to the high expectations that people have of priests. I think it’s right for people to have these expectations, and it’s a great source of inspiration, but it is the greatest challenge. It’s also the greatest contributor to my peace and happiness, because it leads me to a more virtuous life. I also think it’s what the people deserve. In addition, it not only gives me a sense of the difficulty of truly being a good person, but it helps me walk with, and sometimes help direct, people.

As a priest, what has been your most satisfying experience?

The most satisfying part for me is simply being a priest. It’s more than a job. I’ve learned to love the title “Father” because I really am part of the family. I’m part of baptisms, weddings and funerals and the like. People know we are there for them. A favorite experience was when I was a new priest. Someone came to my office and told me about the hole he had dug for himself. I asked if he wanted to do Confession, but he said he wasn’t Catholic. I asked why he came to me, and he simply said, “You’re a priest!”