Happy Anniversary, Fr. Marotti!

One year ago Sunday, Rev. Francis Marotti (’07) received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, making him Thomas Aquinas College’s 58th ordained priest. This weekend, Fr. Marotti will celebrate the first anniversary of his priesthood in the Diocese of Kalamazoo (Mich.), where he serves as the pastoral vicar of St. Philip Catholic Church.

To commemorate the occasion, the Battle Creek Enquirer recently published a profile of Fr. Marotti, accompanied by the above video. In the profile, Fr. Marotti talks about how his first year in the priesthood entailed greater responsibility than he had anticipated, because his pastor fell ill. “People really helped out, and it helped me grow in my priesthood pretty quickly,” he explains. “I think when the Lord puts you in a place, He gives you the grace to do it.”

The young priest also describes how he successfully lobbied for an additional responsibility — teaching high school theology — which he will begin in the fall. “I just really like to teach,” he says. “People are really hungry to learn a lot. There’s a lot they don’t get and a lot they disagree with, and the more you can present it to them, the better it is. The more I can do that, I’m happy.”