Behm to lead St. Edmond kids to Christ
When the school year began for St. Edmond Catholic Schools last week, students and staff not only welcomed the new school year, but also a new priest for both the school and the parish.
The Rev. Patrick Behm joined Holy Trinity Parish as priest and school chaplain for St. Edmond in August.
Behm was born in Fort Dodge and grew up in Storm Lake.
Prior to coming to Fort Dodge, Behm had served as associate pastor at the All Saints Catholic Parish and chaplain of Gehlen Catholic Schools, in Le Mars.
He was then assigned by the bishop of the Sioux City Diocese to his current role at Holy Trinity and St. Edmond.
Behm said he has multiple responsibilities in Fort Dodge.
“I go to the hospital, have mass, hear confessions,” he said. “I prepare couples for marriage, do spiritual direction.”
He has those same responsibilities at St. Edmond, as well as additional ones.
“I also try and take a more active role in the lives of students,” Behm said. “I have mass with the football team every Friday. I try to pray with the students. I try to keep regular office hours over there and I go to the classes and speak.”
Behm said he wants the students to know who he is and that he’s available for them.
So far, he’s been enjoying his time in Fort Dodge.
“It’s been great,” he said. “I’m enjoying being there and getting to know the students. I want to get a couple discipleship groups started. I’m just trying to get the kids to grow deeper in their faith.”
He said that’s what he would like to accomplish at Holy Trinity and St. Edmond.
“My task as a priest is to help people become disciples of Christ, to lead them closer to Christ to get to know Him better,” Behm said. “My task, my role, is to help that in any way I can.”
When asked what he’s looking forward to the most about his new role, Behm said he wasn’t really sure.
“It’s whatever God has in store for me,” he said. “That’s the way I look at every assignment. I come and whatever God has in store, that’s what he has in store for me.”
“My goal is that, when I leave, whenever that is, whether the bishop reassigns me or God takes me, whichever comes first, that the people are closer to Jesus when I leave than when I got there,” Behm said. “I want them to get closer to Jesus.”
He added that he’s looking forward to his time in Fort Dodge.
“I am excited to be in Fort Dodge,” he said. “I love being a priest and I look forward to getting to know the people in the community.”
Behm has been an ordained priest since 2012.
He graduated from St. John Vianney Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2006. From there, he went to St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, Colorado.
His first assignment as a priest was at the Cathedral of the Epiphany and Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City.
Behm to lead St. Edmond kids to Christ
When the school year began for St. Edmond Catholic Schools last week, students and staff not only welcomed the new school year, but also a new priest for both the school and the parish.
The Rev. Patrick Behm joined Holy Trinity Parish as priest and school chaplain for St. Edmond in August.
Behm was born in Fort Dodge and grew up in Storm Lake.
Prior to coming to Fort Dodge, Behm had served as associate pastor at the All Saints Catholic Parish and chaplain of Gehlen Catholic Schools, in Le Mars.
He was then assigned by the bishop of the Sioux City Diocese to his current role at Holy Trinity and St. Edmond.
Behm said he has multiple responsibilities in Fort Dodge.
“I go to the hospital, have mass, hear confessions,” he said. “I prepare couples for marriage, do spiritual direction.”
He has those same responsibilities at St. Edmond, as well as additional ones.
“I also try and take a more active role in the lives of students,” Behm said. “I have mass with the football team every Friday. I try to pray with the students. I try to keep regular office hours over there and I go to the classes and speak.”
Behm said he wants the students to know who he is and that he’s available for them.
So far, he’s been enjoying his time in Fort Dodge.
“It’s been great,” he said. “I’m enjoying being there and getting to know the students. I want to get a couple discipleship groups started. I’m just trying to get the kids to grow deeper in their faith.”
He said that’s what he would like to accomplish at Holy Trinity and St. Edmond.
“My task as a priest is to help people become disciples of Christ, to lead them closer to Christ to get to know Him better,” Behm said. “My task, my role, is to help that in any way I can.”
When asked what he’s looking forward to the most about his new role, Behm said he wasn’t really sure.
“It’s whatever God has in store for me,” he said. “That’s the way I look at every assignment. I come and whatever God has in store, that’s what he has in store for me.”
“My goal is that, when I leave, whenever that is, whether the bishop reassigns me or God takes me, whichever comes first, that the people are closer to Jesus when I leave than when I got there,” Behm said. “I want them to get closer to Jesus.”
He added that he’s looking forward to his time in Fort Dodge.
“I am excited to be in Fort Dodge,” he said. “I love being a priest and I look forward to getting to know the people in the community.”
Behm has been an ordained priest since 2012.
He graduated from St. John Vianney Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2006. From there, he went to St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, Colorado.
His first assignment as a priest was at the Cathedral of the Epiphany and Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City.
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