Retirement Fund for Religious

“Religious individuals dedicate their entire lives to serving others and fulfilling their call to God and the Church. Even in retirement, they remain steadfast in their mission, continuously engaged in prayer and service. For them, retirement does not mean rest but rather a continued commitment to supporting others and living their faith. It’s essential that we recognize and support this dedication, ensuring they have what they need to continue their holy work,” reflects Father John Hansen, 72, a member of  The Sons of Our Mother of Peace in High Ridge, Missouri.

Born on January 22, 1952, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Father John is the eldest of five siblings. His Catholic upbringing shaped his faith. Father John’s early schooling at St. John Vianney in Wyoming, Michigan under the guidance of the Felician Sisters was a major influence. It was here, at the shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes, that he felt drawn by grace. “In third grade, I promised Our Lady that I would become a priest,” he remembers fondly, “and she kept it!”

Father John attended the high school and college program run by the Capuchins with college courses at Marian College of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. After college, he applied to join the Capuchins, but they discerned that it would be better for him to temporarily live and work in Milwaukee while meeting with a Capuchin priest occasionally. Initially, it was a great disappointment, but it became the “door” for God to lead him on a personal pilgrimage.

Daily Mass, quiet prayer, and spiritual reading helped to bring greater clarity regarding his vocation. “I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to God, but two essential elements came into focus during this time; namely, a life of prayer and a simple way of life.”

After visiting several monastic communities and going through a period of uncertainty, a pivotal visit to a monastery in Missouri, suggested by his former Capuchin spiritual director, changed everything.

While praying, he recalled a prayer experience he had in Milwaukee involving clay. “I realized that religious life was to take the whole ‘lump of clay’ of my life and place it in God’s hands to do as he pleases.” This brought a profound peace.

Entering religious life on October 1, 1976, Father John continues his ministry as a spiritual director, Superior General, and a caregiver. Reflecting on his journey, he simply says, “Through surrender and striving to embrace a prayer-life, true peace is found in Jesus.”