PRIEST PROFILE

At Infant Jesus of Prague Parish in the Chicago suburb of Flossmoor, Ill., Father Andy Santos is known for his zeal — especially when it comes to evangelization.

“It seems like everything we do in evangelization has that flavor of his passion,” says Susan Neale, parish coordinator of religious education. “He's really what the Church needs right now.”

Father Santos, 34, was ordained nine years ago for the Archdiocese of Chicago and served at St. Lawrence O'toole Parish in Matteson, Ill., before coming to Infant Jesus of Prague. He calls himself a “lifer” because he began preparation for priesthood in a high-school seminary.

In his five years as associate pastor at Infant Jesus of Prague, a parish of 2,400 families 20 miles from downtown Chicago, he has developed a reputation for innovation and enthusiasm for everything from the youth group to religious education to fostering vocations. He has helped start a Vacation Bible School, organized an annual Holy Thursday pilgrimage for parish youth, enlisted high-school seniors to help with the Confirmation retreat he directs and organized a yearly bus trip for eighth-grade boys to Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary High School.

When Father Santos first broached the idea of a Vacation Bible School to Neale, she told him there was no time. But, she says, “He wouldn't let it go. He said, ‘It's really important.’”

Father Santos explained that he wanted a Vacation Bible School because Catholic children often end up attending the ones Protestant congregations organize.

“We wanted to make sure we could provide a Catholic Bible School that was rich in Catholic tradition,” he explains. “All the students go to their own Catholic church and learn about the Lord and the Bible and have a fun time doing it.” The program attracted 90 children in its first year. Neale says she would have been happy with 50.

Outside Infant Jesus of Prague parish in Flossmoor, Ill., Father Andy Santos preaches parish missions and serves on the archdiocese's Catechetical Advisory Board and Commission for Church Art and Architecture.

At Chicago's Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica, a small parish where Father Santos preached Lenten missions in 2002 and 2003, Servite Father Donald Siple, the pastor, says, “What stuck with people was how he encouraged them to live the Gospel in their life, in the marketplace, in their homes. He started one of the sermons of the mission by saying he would change all the ‘exit’ signs of the church to ‘entrance’ signs because once we receive the grace of God in the liturgy, we go through the doors and enter the world so we can transform the world. That has stuck with the people of my parish for four years now.”

Seeing Christ

Father Santos first considered the priesthood when his pastor at St. Linus Parish in Oak Lawn, Ill., Msgr. John Cardiff, encouraged him to attend what was then Quigley Seminary South, one of two archdiocesan high school seminaries that since have merged into Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary High School. He continued in the archdiocesan seminary system until ordination, but it wasn't until he was at Mundelein Seminary that he fully surrendered to what he believed was God's call for him.

As Father Santos discerned his vocation, he says, he was moved by the work of priests.

“The ability of the priest to be with people in critical moments of their life, moments of joy and sadness, the ability to offer the Eucharist, having the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament, all that really touched my heart,” he says. “I said, ‘I want to be able to be present in these moments as the people of God grow closer to Jesus.’”

Today, bringing Christ to people at critical times of their lives and offering the sacraments are the two most important parts of priesthood to him.

“If people can see Jesus Christ in the midst of great joy and in the midst of great sorrow, they know the Lord's promise to them is fulfilled — that he will be with them until the end of time,” he says.

Father Santos is quick to add that some of the most rewarding experiences of his priesthood have been working with young people. Infant Jesus of Prague — often referred to by parishioners as IJP — has about 1,000 children and teens in the parish school and religious education program for those who attend public school.

“The joy and innocence and happiness that they bring really lights up my day,” he says. “When I get buried in paperwork, I go over to the school to visit with the kids to see what they're learning in religion. Their exuberance for what they're doing really helps me keep focused.”

Stepping Up

In addition to his other duties, Father Santos serves as the parish director of religious education; trains extraordinary ministers of Communion, lectors and altar servers; supervises seminary interns; writes for the parish bulletin, and coordinates the RCIA program.

Regardless of what he is doing, Father Santos makes evangelization a priority. For example, Neale says education for him is a tool for leading people to, or closer to, Christ, not just something other people do and he checks on from time to time.

Father Santos says the New Evangelization called for by Pope John Paul II is of special concern to him because he has seen many people leave the Catholic Church for nondenominational, charismatic churches. These are people, he says, who were unprepared to respond to questions about their Catholic faith and mistakenly thought it to be in error.

“I'm asking myself, ‘Why is this happening?’ and ‘Why does it have to happen?’” he says. “Yes, they're God-fearing and believing in Jesus Christ, yet the Catholic faith has truth to offer people and they're not coming. Why? That's a question the Church has to ask itself. And it's critical that we step up to the plate with the New Evangelization.”

Judy Roberts is based in Graytown, Ohio.