Our Pastor

Our Pastor

Reverend Joseph Minuth 

Fr. Joseph Minuth, 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.

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!”