We invite readers to send short stories about the ways in which their lives have been personally blessed by the life and work of priests and religious in our diocese.

By Karina Fabian

Father Bob Noonan grew up in an ecumenical neighborhood, playing with children of different faiths. He remembers having deep theological discussions at the tender age of 5, so perhaps it’s no wonder that he found it easy to think about becoming a priest. Those childhood daydreams eventually led to a life full of excitement, love and service.>

“Discovering girls” in his teenage years put some doubt into his childhood goals, however, and he thought a better use of his gifts might be as a doctor. He went to Carroll College as a pre-med major, but was encouraged to join the pre-seminary program as well. In 1960, he graduated with a degree in biology and went to St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He was ordained in 1964.>

It was an exciting time, he said, with Vatican II bringing new life to the Church. “Seemingly dry theology became very exciting. So in ’64 when I was ordained, I was with a group of ‘young Turks’ who was going to let the world know what Vatican II was all about and ‘change’ the Church.”>

The “young Turk’s” first assignment was to St. Joseph’s in Butte, where he was assistant pastor. In 1967, he moved to St Joseph’s in Anaconda; then in 1969 to St Anthony’s in Missoula. In 1971, he had the honor of starting a new parish, Pope John XXIII, in Missoula. He was there for six years, after which he was transferred to the cathedral in Helena as co-pastor.>

In 1989, he had a cerebral aneurism, and spent the next six months recovering. Friends at St. Matthew’s in Kalispell invited him to come to their parish, where they could help him in his recovery, and he stayed there until 1996, serving the last three of those years as pastor. In 1996, he transferred to St. Joseph’s in Choteau, where he also serves at St. John the Evangelist in Fairfield and at its mission, St. Matthias in Augusta.>

Father Noonan said the best part of the priesthood is “absolutely, the people! To find and let them see their own goodness.” That attitude led to his becoming involved in ministering to divorced Catholics. While in Missoula, he worked on the diocesan tribunal handling annulments. “I realized that after the annulment, they needed help. At that time, people thought if you were Catholic and divorced, you were kicked out of the church, and that’s not necessarily true.”>

He formed groups in Kalispell and Missoula that supported divorced Catholics and was on the Northwest Board of Divorced Catholics. That ministry grew into working with Catholics with hurting marriages through a group called Retrouvaille, which helps couples rediscover their loving relationship.>

Couples meet for a weekend to learn to open up emotionally to each other. Afterward, they attend six-weeks of follow-up meetings to work on the practical problems in their marriage.>

Father Noonan also takes joy in ecumenical work. He was ecumenical vicar in 1972, and spent six years in the National Association of Diocesan Ecumenical Officers, which plans ecumenical events and promotes interreligious cooperation around the country. He said he learned a lot from the experience.>

Now, he’s with the Montana Association of Churches. He was president for a year, and currently serves on the Faith and Order commission, which plans a yearly conference and creates position papers for the state legislature on issues from the environment to gambling.>

Father Noonan said, “My mother used to tell me that God had given me certain gifts and that He was going to want to know what I did with them.” With his work promoting the ideals of Vatican II in parishes and working with people both within and outside the Church, Father Noonan will have a lot to tell.>

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Published in the Montana Catholic, Vol. 22, No. 4, April 14, 2006.