A Little About Fr. Gignac

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I was born in Detroit in 1933, entered the Society of Jesus in 1950, got my doctorate at Oxford in 1964, was ordained a priest in 1967, and taught at Fordham University in New York from 1968 to 1974, when I came to The Catholic University of America to be Professor of Biblical Greek and chair of the Department of Biblical Studies.

I first came to St. Nicholas in January, 1975 to help Paul Norton with the Sunday Masses. I had always been involved in parish work from the time I was first ordained a deacon, but when I came to Washington I couldn't find a parish that needed help. Paul recommended me to Tom Sheehan, who was then at St. Mary's, who in turn referred me to Vinnie Donovan, who had just been appointed pastor of Holy Family parish in Mitchellville. I joined Vinnie there the following week. This was the beginning of a 19-year-long assistantship and deep friendship.

When Vinnie was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas in 1982, he graciously invited me to accompany him here. During the years that he served as pastor, I helped him not only with weekend Masses, baptisms, weddings, and funerals, but also with home Masses on Wednesdays, adult education Bible classes on Sundays, RCIA classes, etc. He also introduced me to interfaith weddings, which have become a minor apostolate of mine. I learned more from him than from anyone else what being a good priest really means.

I am very happy that Jim Finan, John Barry and now Robert Buchmeier have allowed me to continue to minister here. I have now served the faith community of St. Nicholas for 22 years and hope to do so for many years to come. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.