After teaching at Marist for a cumulative 16 years previously, Father John Ulrich has returned to Marist this year for a third time as our school chaplain. Father John is a friendly and compassionate presence in our school community, and he encourages attendance of adoration on Fridays during activity period for students wanting to grow their faith. Below are some excerpts from an interview with him:

Why did you decide to become a priest?

I went to catholic school almost all my life and we always had a lot of really wonderful priests and nuns as teachers and I really admired so much their love of their faith, their concern for people, and their desire to be helpful, and I was always interested in teaching.

There’s so many opportunities as a priest to be a part of people’s lives from birth all the way up until death.…It’s just been a very rewarding life for me.

What was an important moment in your spiritual journey?

The most rewarding moment was in 1976. I made my final vows here in the chapel at Marist.

What do you like in your free time?

I like to walk, I like to work in the garden, and to read. I like to cook. I have a really good chicken pot pie recipe that the guys at the rectory really like.

Is there anything else you would like the school as a whole to know about you?

Just how pleased I am to be back. I freely admit I’m too old to teach a class now, I’ll be 76 in February. But I miss that regular contact and learning student’s names. I have the yearbook open and I try to learn a couple of names everyday. 

What would you say has stayed the same about Marist since you left?

Well, basically the spirit. By and large, it’s just a wonderful group of young people. There’s so much energy and excitement. And a certain pride in our school which is really important.