Father Bob White has served as pastor for 28 years at St. Victoria Catholic Church in Victoria, which sits in the southwest corner of the Twin Cities metro area. “There’s a good spirit here,” Father White says simply when describing the community’s charism. “We strive to be a mission-driven parish. Our motto is ‘Reaching out as the face and hands of Jesus Christ.’”
The parish had just completed construction on a larger worship space when it was time for Father White to be reassigned, but due to a visual impairment he’d developed, he was allowed to stay. “It’s a genetic disease,” Father White explains. “I have excellent peripheral vision but can’t read or drive. St. Victoria had built a whole infrastructure for me here that would have been hard to recreate, so Archbishop Flynn decided to let me stay at my current assignment of St. Victoria.”
What Will Be My Legacy?
Father White recently updated his will. As part of that process, he asked himself, what do I want as a legacy? “The only thing I really spend on is skiing,” he says. “I’ve saved some money. Not a lot, but some.”
Working with CCF, Father White set up two endowments. One provides tuition assistance for students at nearby Holy Family Catholic High School. A second endowment benefits his longtime parish, St. Victoria.
Holy Family Catholic High School opened its doors in 2000. While there’s no financial connection between St. Victoria and the high school, Father White describes them as good neighbors and partners in spreading the gospel. In addition to serving on the school board, Father White is chaplain of the football team.
“I’ve always wanted to help young people who’d like to attend Holy Family but couldn’t afford the tuition,” Father White says. “I see such a beautiful experience being offered to young people there. I want to make it an option for all students to have that opportunity and not let the cost be a barrier.”
At St. Victoria, Father White’s endowment can support the parish’s many outreach ministries. “It’s for the parish,” he explains, “but we want to go beyond our needs and look at how we can be a greater service to the world.”
Connecting Resources to the Catholic Community
Father White first learned about CCF years ago when some parishioners partnered with the Foundation to convert farmland into charitable donations. “I appreciate the work CCF is doing,” Father White says. “They serve as a bridge, connecting resources with the Catholic community so we can be the Church we’re called to be.”
Father White set up his endowments so that some money is available now, with additional funds coming from his estate upon his death. “I wanted the satisfaction of seeing this put to work while I’m still around,” Father White says. “And the money is needed now.”
Creating a Community Where Everyone Can Belong
While at an age where he could officially retire, Father White is as busy as ever serving his faith community, which over the years has swelled from 374 families to 1,600. “Being a pastor takes the energy of a younger man and the wisdom of an older man,” he observes with a laugh.
After nearly three decades, Father Bob White effuses an affection for his community and enthusiasm for his work that makes it clear his ministry is not done yet. “At St. Victoria, we want to be a soft landing place for the Catholics who’ve drifted away, where they can rediscover their faith and get excited about it,” he says earnestly. “Anyone who feels marginalized, we let them know, you’ve got a place where you belong.”