Who is the New Priest?

CAPTION: In June, we welcomed Father Andrew Labatorio as the second Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Parish.

June marked the arrival of our new Parochial Vicar, Father Andrew Labatorio, known to us as Father Andrew.

So who is Father Andrew?

Born and raised in the Philippines and one of 14 children (he is number eight), he describes his family as crazy, but happy. Having a Baptist father and Catholic mother, he grew up practicing both faiths. His parents believed in providing a strong education, so he attended a Catholic school and had many Catholic friends. Following high school, he decided to enter the seminary, but was particularly drawn to missionary work. Through the influence of the Dominican Nuns, his high school mentors, he decided to enter the CICM (the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), an international religious missionary institute. Father Andrew was both baptized and confirmed on the same day, just a few weeks before beginning his seminary life.

“At first, I just wanted to be a missionary,” he explained. “I later agreed to try the seminary life, which was very much like a normal collegiate experience. I was allowed to go out with friends and socialize. At the same time, I had spiritual formation, and I eventually made the commitment to enter the priesthood.”

He admits his mother was not initially thrilled with his decision. “It was not like a fairy tale,” he said. “She wanted me to become an architect or to choose a career with better financial options. During a family dinner at one of my first breaks, I was very excited telling about my seminary experiences. My mother commented that I was just wasting my time. My father, always full of wisdom, defended me. His words remain a source of strength to me to this day. He said to my mother, 'You have 14 children, can you not give one to God as a gift?' His words put everything into the right perspective.”

After 12 years of formation he became a priest at age 30. The CICM requires mission experience outside of one's own country so Father Andrew traveled to Haiti, where he spent 16 years. The first two years was an internship and a time of discernment. “Those two years made me love the missionary life so I decided to take perpetual vows and a few months later I was ordained a priest” he explained.

When reflecting upon his time in Haiti, he noted that striking a balance between social work and pastoral work was his biggest challenge. “Haiti is a very poor country and people expected more from a missionary than the sacramental part,” he noted. “Their basic human needs were not always being met (particularly following the earthquake in 2010) so they needed someone to bring hope in terms of their physical well-being. Yet, being poor, their faith was stronger. They trusted God more.”

Father Andrew ran clinics in Haiti that welcomed doctors from the United States as well as high school students on a mission trip. “I used to tell them, 'This is not so much about what you can do for Haiti but what Haiti can do for you. Just because you have so much, it doesn't mean you have nothing to receive and just because someone doesn't have anything, that doesn't mean they have nothing to give. There is always an exchange of experience and these relationships can open up new ways of understanding and thinking about life. Many kids who came to Haiti from the United States were so inspired by the joyful and humble aspirations of young Haitians who had nothing. These students often experienced a 360 degree change in the way they looked at life.”

Now that he is in the States, Father Andrew looks forward to working as a parochial vicar. “I am here to serve in my own capacity, in my own way,” he said. “My time here will also serve as a learning experience for me. I hope to contribute to the spiritual well-being of Saint Elizabeth Parish. I learned from the people of Haiti how to envision solutions together, especially in times of crisis. I hope I can bring some of that experience to this parish and help Saint Elizabeth be a source of hope to other people. I hope I can bring people closer to God.”

In his spare time Father Andrew enjoys reading, fishing, nature and the outdoors. Welcome, Father Andrew!

~Julia Krumenacker