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The Poitras family was quite close with the priests of the local Parish of St. Patrick’s. In fact, they were neighbors with Deacon Dick Cochran, who would often bring young Bob old church vestments and other items slated to be discarded. Bob was all too happy to play “Mass” and would often entertain the younger children of his mother’s daycare by performing pretend Masses and sometimes weddings, “but no funerals,” he adds.
“All of those kids are pretty much married to each other, without even knowing it,” Fr. Bob reflects with a chuckle. “I’d also come home from Sunday Mass and have to mimic what Father had just done. So I had a lot of pre-training before my training. I don’t know why – it was just always there. It was something I just enjoyed doing.”
However, Fr. Bob’s path to the priesthood was not a direct one. After graduating from Dracut High School, he spent two years working as a welder and plumber at Bruce Technologies in North Billerica. (Upon learning this new information, Fr. Casey then interjects, “You know, there’s a leaky sink upstairs…”) Eventually, Fr. Bob decided to investigate the calling that he’d always had.
“As much as I ran from God for a number of years, He kept knocking, kept calling.” Finally, Fr. Bob answered the call and went to St. John’s Seminary College for his training before being invited to pursue Theology Studies at the North American College in Rome. Fr. Bob spent five years in Rome among other priesthood candidates from all across the U.S., and in 2004, he was appointed a Deacon.
A year later, he was ordained a priest and his first assignment brought him to St. Agatha’s, where he has served under the Rev. Peter Casey for the past three years.
When Fr. Casey was asked what characteristics the parishioners would ascribe to Fr. Bob, he joked with a twinkle in his eyes, “Do you really want me to tell you?” Then, his comments were many: “…Always has a smile on his face. …An avid, avid fan of whatever sports team is in season. More importantly, he’s a man of prayer. …Very much present to listen to whatever the story might be.”
On a personal level, Fr. Casey echoes the sentiments of the parish in talking about his younger colleague. He says, “It’s been wonderful, a good experience. There’s happiness living in the same rectory, serving together in the same parish. We work well together.”
When asked what he enjoys most about his work, Fr. Bob pauses before continuing, “The thing I most enjoy is probably what’s most challenging when I think about priesthood, and that’s the constantly changing gears. Every day is something new and great to experience. …Some awesome new event to partake in, to share with people of all different age groups. I think that’s what, for me, is challenging but what I enjoy the most so far about the ministry: the different challenges and callings that come each day.
“Whether it be walking with a family as they mourn their loss of a loved one, celebrating a baptism later that afternoon or week, celebrating the Eucharist every day, or being in a Halloween parade with 484 students... As much as [all] that can be challenging, it’s also, for me, the most enjoyable part of ministry.”
Life as a priest can indeed be challenging, for unlike most other professions, the job sometimes knows no time clock, nor work-life balance. When Fr. Bob does get down-time during his one overnight-off-per-week, he often spends it with his close-knit family, surrounded by many siblings, nieces and nephews. A huge sports fan, he jokes about his “reserved” parking spot at Fenway. Fr. Casey wryly adds that Fr. Bob also “knows that place down in Foxboro.” And Fr. Bob’s a big country music guy.
On what makes St. Agatha’s different from other parishes he’s experienced, Father Bob replies, “A great thing here at St. A’s is the life of the parish. What pushes it on is the parishioners’ response to outreach; the giving of parishioners here is tremendous – something we as a parish all should be proud of.
“There’s a great concern for caring for our brothers and sisters who may need our help and assistance in so many different ways and [through] so many different programs that we do. That’s really a main lifeline to this parish that keeps so many people connected and active and living up to their call to holiness.”
It appears that St. Agatha’s lifeline is firmly anchored in the hands of Fr. Bob and Fr. Casey.
(Tom Roux can be reached at tom_roux@hotmail.com.)