Fr. Pat McDevitt couldn’t say no to Bishop Michael McGovern or the Diocese of Belleville.
A Vincentian priest for 38 years, Fr. Pat recently concluded a four-year term as provincial superior of the Congregation of the Mission Western Province.
The Chicago native, who already was living in St. Louis, didn’t idle long. On Oct. 7, he was appointed Chancellor and Director for Mission and Planning in the diocese.
“About two years ago, Bishop McGovern reached out to me just to have a conversation about collaboration, partnerships,” Fr. Pat said. “He was very interested in our Vincentian background of caring and supporting priests, and how we might work together. That kind of began the relationship.”
Fr. Pat is eager to hit the ground running. He was intrigued by Bishop McGovern’s interest and foresees a strong working relationship, based partly on the fact that both are “South Side Irishmen” from similar Chicago neighborhoods.
Beyond that, however, Fr. Pat immediately was impressed with the qualities of the diocese.
“What excites me about the diocese, first and foremost, is its missionary history,” he said. “The spirit of this diocese has always been missionary, which is a real gift to the church. Sometimes dioceses see themselves as established, and they kind of lose that missionary edge. But I think it (exists) here.
“As a Vincentian, that’s very attractive to me because part of our vocation is being missionaries, which is, ‘What can we do?’ Vincent (de Paul) was very big about that. ‘What must be done? What can we do?’ The missionary spirit is that no task is too big for us to address. As a Vincentian, a member of the Congregation of the Mission, no task can be done unless we do it together and congregate together. That spirit is here; you’ve got to work together. It’s a gift.”
Fr. Pat has a long list of previous experiences, including 23 years as a teacher at DePaul University in Chicago, Rector and Superior of the Vincentian Seminary (DePaul Center) in Nairobi, Kenya, and president of All Hallows College in Dublin, Ireland, from 2011-16.
His background also includes counseling education, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, ministry and leadership. He has written about a variety of topics: education, leadership development, psycho-social influences on ministry, education in society and community mental health, among others.
“Fr. Patrick McDevitt will be a terrific addition to the staff of our diocese, providing leadership in important areas such as increasing parish cooperation and putting into action our vision for pastoral care,” Bishop McGovern said. “Fr. McDevitt’s work will help us assess our Catholic presence and ministries in the 28 counties of southern Illinois. I look forward to working with Fr. Pat and welcome him to our diocese.”
Fr. Pat lives in the Vincentian Mission House on Lafayette Avenue near the intersection of Interstate 44 and Grand Boulevard in St. Louis. He said being a Vincentian is about identifying strengths that exist, for example, within the diocese.
“Instead of needs assessment, we do assets assessments. What are our assets?” Fr. Pat said. “Once you name the assets, then you can start thinking about how we can come together, how we can partner. A partnership is about how we change together to meet the mission need.”
He said people should be “constantly in a synodal process.”
“Ten years from now, 20 years from now, it’s about constant change and constant renewal, which is the core of our vocation,” Fr. Pat said. “It’s who we are. We can always be better. We don’t come to a point where we say, ‘Put a bow on it and it’s done.’ By the grace of God, you can get better every day.”
Fr. Pat, 66, is quick with a smile and words of encouragement. He describes himself as a “people person,” a quality he developed from observing his parents during his formative years in Chicago.
“My mother would say, ‘It costs you nothing to be charming. It costs you nothing to be polite. It costs you nothing to say thank you. Just say hello,’” Fr. Pat said. “That’s why I’ve enjoyed being a priest and a teacher. I’ve enjoyed all the jobs I’ve had.”
Fr. Pat once believed he would be a parish priest for many years. But a door opened to be an educator, too.
“My first assignment was as a parish priest” at St. Vincent in Cape Girardeau), he said. “I loved it and thought I would do that for the rest of my life. It was providence when they asked me to go to Kendrick-Glennon (Seminary). I was 32 years old and had just three years as a priest, and now I’m going to help train future priests.
“I was there five years and loved it, which motivated me to go to graduate school and to develop as an educator. Vincent de Paul was big about education being the way we make systemic change. We don’t bring liberation; we help people discover their freedom and discover their power.”
Fr. Pat relishes the company of others. He said he greatly enjoyed helping with the 8 a.m. Mass at Cathedral of St. Peter in Belleville on Oct. 13, which was followed by an opportunity to meet many of the parishioners.
“What motivates me is getting to know people, getting to know communities and getting to know organizations,” Fr. Pat said. “It was wonderful to meet the people. That’s what I loved about being a provincial, too. I was able to meet various communities and go visit people. People fascinate me and communities fascinate me.
“I’ve had a lot of different assignments, but one thing that has consistently been my experience is how good and beautiful and wonderful the people of God are. I don’t care where I’ve lived — the United States, Africa or Ireland — you can feel the good and beautiful people of God. I’m looking forward to getting to know this local church, who (the people) are, their stories and their narratives.”
Fr. Pat is passionate about fitness, regularly lifting weights.
“Eight years ago, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, so I got into training,” he said. “I love going to the gym. My diabetes settled down. I don’t even take medication now. I’m stronger at 66 than I was at 30.”