Greetings all,

My name is Fr. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S. and I am honored to be serving as pastor of the Northwest 8 family of parishes including Holy Redeemer. My father owned and operated a construction business for many years in Glandorf, OH and was a master cabinet maker. I learned many things from him including the joy of woodworking. Dad passed in 2011. Mom is 96, active, sharp and still lives alone, but with a lot of family nearby. She is known for her chocolate chip cookies, uses an IPhone watch and often followed my brother, Fr. Gene and I at Mass via livestream. My brother, Fr. Gene passed suddenly in March 2022 from a blood clot after hip surgery. I have 7 living brothers and sisters all of whom are married and live within 5 minutes of mom. There were 28 nieces and nephews and even more greats.

I am the last Precious Blood missionary to attend Brunnerdale HS Seminary in Canton, OH and be ordained a priest. I have a degree in Psychology from St. Joseph’s College, Rensselaer, IN and a Masters in Divinity from Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. I was ordained in 1990.

My first assignment as a priest was St. Augustine’s Minster 1990-93 where I also worked with Holy Redeemer and several other parishes in a joint youth ministry program. I served at St. Andrew Church, Orlando, FL one and a half years before becoming pastor of Nativity Church, Longwood, FL until 2002. I served in vocation/formation ministry and provincial leadership with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood for 17 years and served as pastor of the Celina Cluster from 2010-22. I’ve learned that God is present in many ways in each of the ministries I have served in and know that God is just as present as I begin as pastor of NW8.

I am looking forward to our journey together as NW8 and trust that God will guide us in all things. As with anything new, there are unknowns and perhaps some worries and anxieties, but I am also confident that God has given us all the gifts necessary to bring our new family of parishes to fruition as we keep our hearts and minds focused in faith and trusting that with God all things are possible.  Blessings and prayers, Fr. Ken