John A. Trese
Encyclopedia
Monsignor John Arthur Trese ("Fr. Jack") (June 20, 1923 - October 20, 2004) was an American
Roman Catholic priest serving the Archdiocese of Detroit from 1951 to 2000.
in 1923, Fr. Trese was the eldest of six children. He graduated from St. Joseph Elementary and St. Stephen’s High School in Port Huron
. Recognizing his vocation to the priesthood early in life, he followed the path of his uncle, Fr. Leo Trese, a diocesan priest and noted author. Fr. Leo’s published writings and books of reflections for priests were revolutionary in their time for their candor and sincerity. Fr. Trese’s penchant for scholarship and love of life can be traced to his supportive family, especially his mother, Marguerite Schwab Trese, and the uncle he respected and loved.
for his college work and completed his studies for the priesthood at the Theological College of The Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C. He was ordained May 22, 1948.
Following his first assignment to St. Louis parish in Mt. Clemens, Michigan in 1951, Fr. Trese was tapped to attend graduate school at Saint Louis University
where he earned bachelors and masters degrees in Social Work
.
, eventually becoming Director of Catholic Social Services of Oakland, Monroe, Washtenaw and Lapeer counties. He held the post until 1965.
In 1962 he was appointed Spiritual Director of the National Council of Catholic Nurses. He authored an article in The Catholic Nurse monthly journal titled "Life with Father."
From 1965 to 1968, Fr. Trese directed the Archdiocesan Opportunity Program. While there, Fr. Trese began more than 13 programs including many Headstart sites and teaching programs for women in prison. During the 1960s he became one of the leaders of the emerging consciousness for greater social justice
in the Detroit area.
In 1968 he was appointed pastor
of St. Columban Church, a position he held until 2000 when he retired as senior priest
. While there, he served as Vicar Pro-tem of the South Oakland Vicariate and instituted many innovative programs at St. Columban’s including his ministry to fellow priests, to Catholics affected by divorce
and to families touched by suicide
.
In 2001, St. Columban was named one of the Excellent Catholic Parishes by Paul Wilkes
, citing programs developed by Fr. Jack: spontaneous prayers of the faithful during Mass, collaborative spirit between leadership and laypeople, emphasis on learning and personal development, and suicide support group.
format, so anyone can share thoughts about Fr. Jack, and how he impacted their lives.
Fr. Jack believed in the power of the community
. He trusted the integrity of those in the pews. "Never let anyone or any organization think for you" was a phrase he was known to use. He very seldom discouraged a community
member who came to him with an idea for a new group or event. He felt if there was a need in the community
for it, it would grow; if there was no need, it would not survive. He believed in inclusion, and invited those in the congregation who were not Catholic
, but to whom the mass was a significant event, to receive communion
. The greatest sin
, he said, was indifference. He began support groups for divorced Catholics in the 1960s, when this was an uncommon practice. He also started support groups for those touched by suicide
and those with a non-traditional sexual orientation
. Regarding suicide, Fr. Jack would say that, "...people die from suicide, not by suicide." Just as people die from cancer, not by cancer. Members of the parish
participated in faith-sharing groups, sharing the stories of their faith journeys. Fr. Jack deeply believed that "every individual's faith story matters."
Fr. Jack was always learning and growing, either through his voracious reading or through his many discussions with friends and members of his congregation. "To be religiously alive," he said, "is to be uncertain." He believed in the power of the Gospels and Jesus
' teaching to serve as a guide through life. Fr. Jack once said, “Jesus saw things differently. He preached inclusion rather than separateness. Everything we really need to know can be found in Christ’s’ teachings of love and compassion. I don’t feel I need to defend or ‘sell’ the Gospels, they take care of themselves. I have grown as much from the experience of being a parish pastor
as the people I’ve served.”
He began every mass by encouraging the congregation to "take a deep breath" in order to be present for each other. Every mass ended with the phrase "The mass continues. Let's have a great week!" He understood that the gifts received at mass each week would be shared throughout the coming week, and that the sacredness of the event would not end with the recessional song. He also developed the Prayers of the Faithful into an opportunity for sharing. Members of the congregation stood up and asked for prayers themselves, rather than sending in prayer requests, or using standard prayer requests. In this way, the congregation began to understand each other more deeply, and the mass became more of a dialogue.
At one point the congregation was challenged to come up with 'one word' to describe the experience at St. Columban. 'Freedom' was unanimously voted on. In that context, they felt free to offer ideas for their Catholic
spiritual development. One of the unique avenues that came out of this environment was an alternative to, or an addition to, CCD for families called 'Family Experience'. In the 1980s and 1990s several families met once a month and taught and experienced their faith through some family activity. And since the environment of St. Columban was inclusive, the term 'family
' came to mean everyone, and those who were single were welcomed.
“He was considered a hero to many priests,” said Fr. Paul F. Chateau, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Oak Park. “A creative, engaging and humble person, he was not locked into the past. His openness and personal growth encouraged openness in others,” he added. “Like the ad for E.F. Hutton, when Fr. Jack spoke, others listened.”
Rev. Robert Giuliano, retired pastor of Glenwood United Church of Windsor, part of the United Church of Canada
, said, “I considered Jack my best friend across the border. Few people knew he was well-known and cherished in Canada
. We had a common bond in the Lord and in the ministry that is rare,” he added.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Roman Catholic priest serving the Archdiocese of Detroit from 1951 to 2000.
Early life
Born in St. Clair, MichiganSt. Clair, Michigan
St. Clair is a city in St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,802 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the St. Clair River near the southeast corner of St. Clair Township.-Geography:...
in 1923, Fr. Trese was the eldest of six children. He graduated from St. Joseph Elementary and St. Stephen’s High School in Port Huron
Port Huron
Port Huron is the name of a city and a township in St. Clair County, Michigan. See:* Port Huron, Michigan* Port Huron Township, MichiganSee also:* Port Huron Statement...
. Recognizing his vocation to the priesthood early in life, he followed the path of his uncle, Fr. Leo Trese, a diocesan priest and noted author. Fr. Leo’s published writings and books of reflections for priests were revolutionary in their time for their candor and sincerity. Fr. Trese’s penchant for scholarship and love of life can be traced to his supportive family, especially his mother, Marguerite Schwab Trese, and the uncle he respected and loved.
Education and Ordination
Fr. Trese attended Sacred Heart Major SeminarySacred Heart Major Seminary
Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a Catholic institution of higher learning associated with the Archdiocese of Detroit. It is located at 2701 West Chicago Boulevard, at the western edge of the Boston-Edison Historic District in Detroit, Michigan. In 2006-2007, 93 seminarians and over 400 lay...
for his college work and completed his studies for the priesthood at the Theological College of The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C. He was ordained May 22, 1948.
Following his first assignment to St. Louis parish in Mt. Clemens, Michigan in 1951, Fr. Trese was tapped to attend graduate school at Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
where he earned bachelors and masters degrees in Social Work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
.
Career
In 1953 he was appointed associate secretary for Catholic CharitiesCatholic Charities
Catholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
, eventually becoming Director of Catholic Social Services of Oakland, Monroe, Washtenaw and Lapeer counties. He held the post until 1965.
In 1962 he was appointed Spiritual Director of the National Council of Catholic Nurses. He authored an article in The Catholic Nurse monthly journal titled "Life with Father."
From 1965 to 1968, Fr. Trese directed the Archdiocesan Opportunity Program. While there, Fr. Trese began more than 13 programs including many Headstart sites and teaching programs for women in prison. During the 1960s he became one of the leaders of the emerging consciousness for greater social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
in the Detroit area.
In 1968 he was appointed pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Columban Church, a position he held until 2000 when he retired as senior priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. While there, he served as Vicar Pro-tem of the South Oakland Vicariate and instituted many innovative programs at St. Columban’s including his ministry to fellow priests, to Catholics affected by divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
and to families touched by suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
In 2001, St. Columban was named one of the Excellent Catholic Parishes by Paul Wilkes
Paul Wilkes
Paul Wilkes is an American writer of Slovak origin and filmmaker who is best known for his focus on religion, especially Roman Catholicism and its monastic tradition....
, citing programs developed by Fr. Jack: spontaneous prayers of the faithful during Mass, collaborative spirit between leadership and laypeople, emphasis on learning and personal development, and suicide support group.
Death
Father Jack died October 20, 2004 following complications resulting from cancer. He was 81. His life was celebrated in 2 funeral masses; the first was celebrated by Cardinal Adam Maida and the second was a more personal one for the St. Columban church community. The masses reflected the spirit of the man in the realest sense, full of joy, laughter, singing and community. He received a final blessing from the community, and received many eulogies, one is The Good News of Jack Trese.Digital Archive
Shortly after his death, a small group of St. Columban parishioners decided to develop a website dedicated to the spirit and teachings of Fr. Jack. The site, frjack.org, serves a variety of purposes. For a number of years, his sermons were taped, and are now available for listening on the site. In addition, many of his writings, dating back to 1962, have been scanned for reading purposes. The accumulated material provides a unique look at a post-Vatican II church, struggling to deal with a school closing, rejoicing in the strength of their community, sharing their faith. The site is in wikiWiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
format, so anyone can share thoughts about Fr. Jack, and how he impacted their lives.
Views and Practices
Fundamentally, Fr. Jack believed there is a need in our time to seek unity among all people. In his pastoral role, he sought to correlate the teachings of Jesus and the initiatives of the Vatican II Council to respond to the needs of individuals within a Catholic community facing the questions and challenges of the modern world.Fr. Jack believed in the power of the community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
. He trusted the integrity of those in the pews. "Never let anyone or any organization think for you" was a phrase he was known to use. He very seldom discouraged a community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
member who came to him with an idea for a new group or event. He felt if there was a need in the community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
for it, it would grow; if there was no need, it would not survive. He believed in inclusion, and invited those in the congregation who were not Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, but to whom the mass was a significant event, to receive communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. The greatest sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
, he said, was indifference. He began support groups for divorced Catholics in the 1960s, when this was an uncommon practice. He also started support groups for those touched by suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and those with a non-traditional sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. Regarding suicide, Fr. Jack would say that, "...people die from suicide, not by suicide." Just as people die from cancer, not by cancer. Members of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
participated in faith-sharing groups, sharing the stories of their faith journeys. Fr. Jack deeply believed that "every individual's faith story matters."
Fr. Jack was always learning and growing, either through his voracious reading or through his many discussions with friends and members of his congregation. "To be religiously alive," he said, "is to be uncertain." He believed in the power of the Gospels and Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' teaching to serve as a guide through life. Fr. Jack once said, “Jesus saw things differently. He preached inclusion rather than separateness. Everything we really need to know can be found in Christ’s’ teachings of love and compassion. I don’t feel I need to defend or ‘sell’ the Gospels, they take care of themselves. I have grown as much from the experience of being a parish pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
as the people I’ve served.”
He began every mass by encouraging the congregation to "take a deep breath" in order to be present for each other. Every mass ended with the phrase "The mass continues. Let's have a great week!" He understood that the gifts received at mass each week would be shared throughout the coming week, and that the sacredness of the event would not end with the recessional song. He also developed the Prayers of the Faithful into an opportunity for sharing. Members of the congregation stood up and asked for prayers themselves, rather than sending in prayer requests, or using standard prayer requests. In this way, the congregation began to understand each other more deeply, and the mass became more of a dialogue.
At one point the congregation was challenged to come up with 'one word' to describe the experience at St. Columban. 'Freedom' was unanimously voted on. In that context, they felt free to offer ideas for their Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
spiritual development. One of the unique avenues that came out of this environment was an alternative to, or an addition to, CCD for families called 'Family Experience'. In the 1980s and 1990s several families met once a month and taught and experienced their faith through some family activity. And since the environment of St. Columban was inclusive, the term 'family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
' came to mean everyone, and those who were single were welcomed.
Reputation
Father Jack leaves a pastoral legacy of compassion, wisdom and wit. To those who knew him, he was a caring friend, a thoughtful counselor and a source of peace uplifting those in need. In Fr. Jack's warm acceptance of all people as children of God, he reflected the very spirit of Christ. A guiding principle of his ministry was respect for the sacredness of each person’s mission and empowering the individual to carry it out in the parish community.“He was considered a hero to many priests,” said Fr. Paul F. Chateau, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Oak Park. “A creative, engaging and humble person, he was not locked into the past. His openness and personal growth encouraged openness in others,” he added. “Like the ad for E.F. Hutton, when Fr. Jack spoke, others listened.”
Rev. Robert Giuliano, retired pastor of Glenwood United Church of Windsor, part of the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
, said, “I considered Jack my best friend across the border. Few people knew he was well-known and cherished in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. We had a common bond in the Lord and in the ministry that is rare,” he added.
External resources
- Msgr. John "Jack" Trese - obituary from Archdiocese of Detroit October 20, 2004.
- John Trese obituary - Detroit Free Press October 25, 2004
- "Father Jack" by Madge Lawson.
- Fr. Jack website: www.frjack.org Listen to his sermons, read about the changing Catholic Church in articles dating back to 1962.