Year for Priests: Today's Priest

Today's Priest: Fr. John C. Iffert

Ordination date: June 7, 1997

Status: Active diocesan priest

Assignment:

St. Mary Parish, Mt. Vernon; St. Theresa of Avila Parish, Salem; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Kinmundy, Administrator

NOTE: Fr. Iffert recently returned to diocesan service as he was for years a Dominican in service doing campus ministry at universities. As human interest, I'd like to know his story as to why he returned to diocesan service. I am, however, grateful that he did. We need all these priests. God bless him.

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Prayer for Fr. Iffert and all priests in the Belleville diocese and in the Church worldwide:

Prayer for Priests

by St. Therese of Lisieux

O Jesus, eternal Priest,

keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart,

where none may touch them.

Keep unstained their anointed hands,

which daily touch Your Sacred Body.

Keep unsullied their lips,

daily purpled with your Precious Blood.

Keep pure and unearthly their hearts,

sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.

Let Your holy love surround them and

shield them from the world's contagion.

Bless their labors with abundant fruit and

may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and

consolation here and in heaven their beautiful and

everlasting crown. Amen.