Clergy and Staff
Fr. Scott Pogatchnik
Pastor
As a teenager Fr. Scott Pogatchnik learned that being a man and having a spiritual life go hand in hand. "in fact, to be a real man, you need a spiritual life," he said.
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He came to this conclusion by way of several male role models in his formative years. The first was his father, Dan, who ensured faith was a priority in the house. Fr. Pogatchnik said. Second, coaches instilled virtuous qualities like hard work, integrity, and trust in teammates.
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These insights brought Fr. Pogatchnik, an Avon Native, to an even deeper insight: He was being called to the priesthood.
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Other positive influenced in his life came during a backpacking trip to Europe, where he saw harmony between faith and reason in local culture, history and architecture, and it moved him to read the Scriptures more.
He also felt more called to the priesthood when he worked with the Missionaries of Charity - Blessed Mother Teresa's order - in Washington D.C., Minneapolis and Naples and saw the result of a life centered on Christ. "I saw the priesthood as a way to follow Christ, pour myself out for others and help feed those who hunger for love, friendship and forgiveness," he said
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In becoming a priest, Fr. Pogatchnik said he looks forward to passing down the gift of faith the next generation and being an instrument of God's grace through the sacraments of the church.
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"The priest is given a privileged role in participation in the most significant moments of people's lives - caring for souls from their supernatural birth in baptism to their nourishment at the Mass, from their healing in confession to their preparation for death in the last rites. What an awesome joy and gift!" he said.
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Fr. Pogatchnik enjoys spending time with people and being outdoors from basketball and golf to fishing and camping and canoeing; traveling, reading, including authors like Chesterton, Schall, and Ratzinger; watching movies such as "The Band of Brothers," "A Man for All Seasons" and the "Godfather" or westerns.
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He said, "one of the biggest ministry challenges he foresees is responding to attacks on family life. Broken relationships in families can cause people to feel more isolated, more tempted to despair and less able to experience the natural love of a mother and a father as well as understand God's transforming love. And yet we know God can always break through - even in the most difficult situations."
Looking to the future, he hopes to help others throughout his priestly years.
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"I hope that in my years as a priest, the Lords will use me to draw people into a greater love of God, his church and one another. I hope that my humble example can help people realize that God wants to be involved in their entire life and not just in one part. I hope that through the intercession of Mary and the saints, God inspires all people, and especially youth, to live virtuous lives."
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Fr. JC Duncan
Parochial Vicar
Fr. Jean-Claude “JC” Duncan, a former Methodist minister was ordained a Catholic priest on December 9, 2023, for the Diocese of St. Cloud, where he lives with his wife and nine children.
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During JC’s time of discernment, he was connected with Marcus Grodi’s Journey Home apostolate. They with Protestant clergy discerning entering the Catholic Church. The apostolate assisted Father Duncan with resources explaining how other converts managed to bridge the total loss of their means of living due to their conversion to the Catholic Church. He then reached out to the St. Cloud Diocese and began to understand the extent of what conversion would entail.
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In the end, it was the Eucharist that tipped the scale.
“I couldn’t run from the reality that Christ lovingly offered himself in the Eucharist. Standing at the altar preparing to say the words of Eucharistic institution, I wept. I no longer could hide from the decision. I needed to practice the faith that I preached,” Father Duncan said.
Father Duncan and Anne made the decision to leave his Protestant pastorate and pursue the Catholic faith. Upon making this decision, “divine providence allowed things to fall in place.” He was offered a job as an insurance agent with the Knights of Columbus and the Protestant community he served granted Father Duncan’s family permission to remain in the parsonage as renters.
He and his family, which now includes nine children, became Catholic through confirmation in 2016.
Because Father Duncan is married, Pope Francis made a special exception to allow his ordination. He was ordained as a transitional deacon on Aug. 20 at his home parish, St. Ann in Wadena. Beginning in January, Father Duncan will serve as parochial vicar of the St. Cloud parishes of St. Augustine, St. John Cantius and St. Mary’s Cathedral.
“My story might be atypical, but it is nothing in comparison to the work of God in the lives of each of us every day. Conversion is the process of trust we all must live daily. Intoning each day with ‘Lord, open my lips,’ is the first daily act of a disciple being open to daily conversion. Like those I am called to serve sacramentally, I, too, must remain a humble convert each day.”
Frank Ringsmuth
Deacon
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Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry - St. John's University School of Theology
Ordained by Bishop John Kinney on June 11, 2011, the feast of St. Barnabas
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I am humbled and honored to have been chosen to serve the priests and the people of God as a permanent
deacon. Like most permanent deacons, I live a dual vocation - married to Laura for 33 years, and now serving the
Church in a special way as a deacon. I understand the diaconate to be a visible sign of God's work in and through his people.
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Of all my experiences during diaconate formation, I want to mention three that were foundational to my ministry as a deacon. First, I spent a semester ministering to people who were in hospice care, journeying through their final stage of life on earth. Although each person was unique, I was moved by the sense of peace and the strong faith most of those in hospice demonstrated to me. It was a joy to pray and spend time with those in hospice. Second, my work in our parish cluster's RCIA program afforded me the opportunity to use what I have been learning in formation to dialogue with those who are seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. Finally, I spent three weeks in the Holy Land in May 2010, walking in the steps of our Lord and the first disciples. That was an exceptional experience, which added depth to my understanding of the Scriptures, a depth I will enjoy sharing through homilies and opportunities to teach in my ministry.
Lucy Schwieger
Office Manager
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