Fr. Gabriele M. White
I am very excited about being appointed pastor at St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face! Some of you might have already met me during my brief tenure this summer at St. Joseph the Worker parish.
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My name is Fr. Gabriele M. White. I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado with my three brothers, the oldest of whom you will probably meet in the future because he is also a priest. We are members of an international missionary community called Work of Jesus the High Priest – Family of Mary. After having several missionary experiences in Russia with this community in the 90s, I joined in 1995 following my high school graduation. I spent three years in the idyllic Abruzzo region followed by five years of philosophical and theological studies at the Jesuit’s Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. My first four years as a priest were spent as the formator of our new vocations.
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In 2007, I was made rector of our seminary where I remained until my transfer to the Archdiocese of Portland this past July. So, although I have been a priest for 20 years, this will be my first real exposure to parish life… and I can’t wait!
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That’s a little bit about me. For those who have not been over to St. Joseph the Worker or St. Henry’s and have not gotten to know our missionary community, here is a little bit about us: The Work of Jesus the High Priest is a clerical association that grew out of and is still completely united to the association of the faithful Family of Mary, whose initial approval was granted by the Vatican in 1995. As priests, brothers, and apostolic sisters, we share a common spirituality, shaped by love of Mary, a Eucharistic-priestly spirit and fidelity to the Holy Father. We have a missionary orientation and strive for true ecumenism so that Jesus’ promise of one flock under one shepherd (Jn. 10:16) might be realized. The community’s particular charism is praying and offering our lives to God in a special way for the sanctification of priests and priestly formation. Depending on the need of the mission, the exterior form of our apostolate varies greatly, ranging from parish work; teaching in schools; pastoral care of children, teenagers, families and elderly, as well as other charitable efforts, especially in the missionary territories. The community is currently working around the world in Italy, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, in the Slovak and Czech Republics, as well as in Uruguay, Kazakhstan, Russia and South Korea.
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