My father was a career soldier in the Army. I was born February 25, 1954 at Ft. Clayton, Panama Canal Zone of Robert and Rosemary Farrell. Both my parents are deceased. I have two sisters, Kathleen and Celine and one brother, Thomas. My family hails Pittsburgh as our home town. Please don’t be too offended when I root for the Steelers and wave my “terrible towel”.
Because I moved so much growing up, I have a very broad view of life and the church. I try to always look at the “BIG” picture. I appreciate the lived experience, the history and traditions of parishes but am not fixated on “This is the way we’ve always done it”. I tend to ask, “Where is the Lord in this moment?” and “What is best for the majority of the parishioners?”
I received a BA in Philosophy in 1976 and an MA in Theology in 1980 from the Athenaeum of Ohio. I was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati by Archbishop Bernardin on June 14, 1980.
My first assignment was to teach theology at Mother of Mercy High School. While on the faculty for six years, I was also resident associate at Our Lady of Victory and Little Flower parishes. In 1986, I became the full-time associate at St. Ignatius Parish in Cincinnati. I was pastor of Nativity of Our Lord in Pleasant Ridge from 1989 - 2000 and pastor of St. Bartholomew parish in finneytown from 2000 - 2009. Along with my responsibilities as pastor, I have taught fundamental theology at Xavier University and Historical Theology at the Athenaeum of Ohio, as well as numerous catechist certification courses.
For relaxation I like to read, play golf, hike, ride my bike, snow ski, walk my dog and spend time with family and friends.
St. Susanna is an energetic and faith-filled parish. I encourage you to become involved in some ministry at the parish. Everything we have is a gift from the Lord. What we do with those gifts, how we give back to God...is important! No one can or should do everything. But all of us should do something to put our faith into action. That is what discipleship and membership in the Church of Jesus is all about.
I believe you will find the staff is extremely competent and willing to assist you in anyway. Our school is a vital ministry of our parish and does a tremendous job of educating our children. Both the school and our excellent Christian Formation Program (CFP) allow our children to deepen their understanding of God and assisting parents in being the "first and best of teachers in the ways of the faith".
I am humbled and honored to be your pastor. I look forward to ministering with all of you. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the staff if you have any concerns or questions. Together, let us become the church Jesus needs us to be by loving, caring and supporting one another.
May the peace of the Lord be with you,
Fr. Bob Farrell