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 John Robertson was born in Florida in 1945, while his family was stationed at Banana River Naval Air Station (now Patrick AFB), but they moved to Montana shortly after World War II ended.

The Robertsons are now a farming/ranching family near Harlowton. The oldest of five, Father Robertson has two brothers and two sisters, 11 nieces and nephews and 19 grandnieces and nephews.

He graduated from Harlowton High School in 1963, went to Carroll College, then attended seminary at St. Thomas the Apostle Seminary in Washington State. After completing seminary formation, he was ordained a priest in Harlowton by Bishop Raymond Hunthausen on June 6, 1971.

He taught theology at Butte Central for two years, then was appointed vice chancellor of the diocese in 1973 and chancellor in 1979. In 1981, he became pastor of St. Charles Parish in Whitefish. Next, he went to the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned a Licentiate in Canon Law.

He returned to Helena in 1985 to become judicial vicar and chancellor.

Beginning in 2001 he served Holy Spirit Parish in Butte, while continuing as vicar for canonical services and judicial vicar. After returning to the Chancery in 2005, he also served St. Mary Catholic Community in Helena from 2006 to 2007, and currently serves St. Thomas Parish in Helmville with St. Jude Mission Church in Lincoln. In 2007, he added responsibilities as director of deacons and deacon formation.

Father Robertson said he was especially influenced in his vocation by his mother and grandmother as well as two priests, Father Joseph Byrne (Holy Cross in Townsend) and Father Robert McCarthy (deceased). Nonetheless, his decision to become a priest took much examination and thought.

“I don’t think there was a particular moment (when I knew I was to be a priest). I thought about being a priest when in junior high and high school, but it was not in my mind when deciding to attend Carroll College. I entered the Borromeo Pre-Seminary Program at Carroll in my junior year. After graduating from Carroll, the bishop sent me to St. Thomas Seminary.

“You could say my journey was a methodical one, taking each year as it came along. Toward the end of the second year at the seminary, the path toward priesthood was basically set,” he said.


Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 24, No. 12, December 19, 2008.