Father Lockwood's Page

Bishop Robert Finn appointed Fr. Gregory J. Lockwood pastor of Christ the King Parish, effective July 1st. Lockwood is a priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, MO. Ordained in 1988, Fr. Lockwood is a married convert to Catholicism, and a former Lutheran pastor. He entered the priesthood through the Pastoral Provision, a mechanism erected by Blessed John Paul II to bring clergy from other denominations into continued ministry within a Catholic context. His priestly ministry has revolved around parish work, high school teaching, Catholic Adult Education and the formation of priests and permanent deacons. He has taught at the archdiocesan seminary in Saint Louis for the past 17 years, and in the Adult Education Program, Paul VI Institute, for 24 years. He and his wife Karen have been married 38 years, and have five children and six grandchildren.

Thoughts from Father Lockwood…..
The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

We live in an age of “specialists” and “authorities,” and unless we consult one when certain things are happening, such as illness or a mechanical problem with our vehicles, we don’t feel as though we’ve covered all the bases. When something goes wrong with us physically, we will often consult a medical specialist (unless “Doctor Mom” has already made the diagnosis; mothers are really good at this).

Things were different in Jesus’ day when it came to the Law and decent living; the rabbis quoted previous teachings of famous rabbis instead of teaching in their own names (to give what they did say some heft). We call this an appeal to authority. What surprised people about Jesus was that He taught without doing this; He taught in His own Name, He was the specialist. He taught us about the most important realities that we face, and passed on to us those most important messages.

We in turn share these teachings with others, especially in our homes, parish and school. This weekend begins Catholic Schools Week, a time to celebrate our passing on of Jesus’ teachings to our children, a time to honor those who do this for us, our teachers and staff, and a time to redouble our efforts to protect and nurture Catholic Education. I want to thank Mrs. Smith and her troops over in our school for passing along the teachings of the Church and the understanding of our world to our children each and every day. And I want to thank the whole parish for your support of the school all these years. Many things have changed, but this truth remains: Educating our children in the ways of faith is still Job One. Thanks to all who help get this job done.