George Gabet
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Father George Gabet | |
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| Pastor | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Cincinnati |
| Previous post(s) | North American District Superior, FSSP (2004–2008) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1997 by John M. D’Arcy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Fort Wayne, Indiana |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Education | Ball State University Indiana-Perdue University |
| Alma mater | International Seminary of St. Peter |
Ordination history of George Gabet | |||||||||||||||||
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George Gabet is an American Catholic priest of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), and previously served as the North American District Superior of the fraternity. He is currently the pastor of the fraternity's apostolate, Holy Family Catholic Church in Dayton, Ohio.
Life and education
[edit]Born into a family of nine in Fort Wayne, Indiana,[1][2] Gabet attended St. Charles Borromeo and Bishop Dwenger High School in his hometown.[1]
After high school Gabet studied at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, earning a Bachelor of Science degree, where he double-majored in medical technology and microbiology.[2] After graduating, Gabet worked as a medical technologist for the American Red Cross for five years.[1][2] During this time, he also pursued a master's degree at Indiana University-Purdue University.[2]
Vocation and seminary
[edit]Gabet initially did not plan to become a priest, envisioning a life with a wife and many children, but several what he would call coincidences led him toward the priesthood.[1] One of these incidents was a significant moment that occurred at the 20th anniversary Mass for Monsignor Edward Hession, where Hession expressed a wish for a priestly vocation from his time at the parish. An elderly woman then "turned around, she turned back to the front and then very slowly, turned around and faced me" before she would point at Gabet and declared she thought he was that vocation.[1] This incident left a strong impression on Gabet.[1]
Around the same time, Gabet's parents became involved with the League of St. Anthony, which advocated for the Traditional Latin Mass.[1] Gabet attended a Latin Mass at Sacred Heart Parish in Fort Wayne and was impressed by its beauty, even though he did not know the verbal responses.[3][1] He found that his prayer life improved "immensely" through the reverence of the Latin Mass, noting that he could participate better interiorly and sing along with certain parts without knowing all the words.[1]
Gabet's involvement in the pro-life movement and a Saturday evening men's prayer group also influenced his faith.[2][1] Already devoted to Mary, he was introduced to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a religious order formed in 1988 in response to Pope John Paul II's Ecclesia Dei, specifically dedicated to the Latin Mass.[1] When a friend planned to host an FSSP priest to encourage vocations, Gabet was the only one who showed up, despite his prior intentions for marriage and a family.[1]
Another pivotal experience for Gabet was the Summer of Mercy in Wichita, Kansas, a large pro-life movement, where he realized he needed to dedicate himself to "God's work full-time".[1]
In 1991, Gabet entered St. Peter’s Seminary, the FSSP’s international seminary in Wigratzbad, Germany.[3][2][1] He only had a basic understanding of French, one of the seminary's languages of instruction, and was advised to perform a daily Way of the Cross to aid his studies.[1] Wigratzbad is also a pilgrimage site to Mary, aligning with his existing devotion.[1]
Ordination
[edit]Gabet was ordained a deacon in 1996 by Bishop Wolfgang Haas, then Bishop of Chur-Zurich, Switzerland.
Gabet requested to be ordained in his home diocese, rather than in Bavaria, to allow his large extended family to attend.[1] In 1997 he was ordained priest by John Michael D'Arcy Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.[2][3][1]
Priestly assignments
[edit]After his ordination, Gabet was initially assigned to the Community of St. Peter in the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma.[1][2] In 1998, he was transferred to St. Patrick’s Parish in the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, where he served for two years.[2] He was the predecessor of Eric Flood at St. Patrick's.[4] Following his time in Omaha, he returned to the Diocese of Tulsa, serving as pastor of the Parish of St. Peter for three years.[2]
FSSP North American District Superior position
[edit]After seven years as a priest, Gabet was appointed North American district superior of the FSSP by the Superior General, Arnaud Devillers,[2][1] overseeing FSSP communities in the United States and Canada. During his four-year tenure, the FSSP opened 11 new apostolates across the United States.[1][3] Gabet also helped establish the Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska.[2][1]
In February 2008, Gabet submitted a request to step down from his role as District Superior, which was accepted by the Superior General, John Berg, with the consent of the General Council.[4] He was succeeded by Eric Flood.[4]
Return to parish ministry
[edit]After stepping down as District Superior, Gabet returned to parish life, seeking a less demanding ministry with less travel.[1][3] He was invited by Bishop D'Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend to lead the small Latin Mass community there.[1][3]
Gabet became the chaplain of the St. Mother Theodore Guérin Latin Mass Community, serving Sacred Heart Parish in Fort Wayne and St. John the Baptist in South Bend, both of which had offered the Tridentine Rite Mass since 1990.[1][3][5] This community had been established by D'Arcy on March 1, 2008, to meet the needs of Catholics wanting to worship in the traditional rite following Pope Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum.[3] Gabet would celebrate daily Latin Mass at Sacred Heart in Fort Wayne and travel to South Bend almost every Sunday to celebrate Mass at St. John the Baptist.[3]
In October 2011, Bishop Kevin Rhoades elevated Sacred Heart Parish to a personal parish dedicated to the extraordinary form, and Gabet became its pastor while continuing to serve the South Bend community.[5] He served at Sacred Heart Parish for eight years.[1] He also administered sacraments according to the earlier rituals as a chaplain.[3]
Current role
[edit]Gabet currently serves as the pastor of Holy Family Parish in Dayton, Ohio,[6][7][8][1] a position to which he was appointed by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on July 1, 2016.[9] He is joined by Joseph Orlowski FSSP, who serves as Parochial Vicar.[7][6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Barton, Jennifer (July 7, 2022). "The joy of an unexpected vocation: Father George Gabet, FSSP". Today's Catholic. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Una Voce America » Fr George Gabet, FSSP NA Superior". Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Former FSSP District Superior strengthens St. Mother Theodore Guérin Latin Mass community". Una Voce Carmel. March 6, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c "FSSP: New District Superior in the USA | Fr. Z's Blog". wdtprs.com. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b Marx, Nathaniel (July 2013). Ritual in the age of authenticity: An ethnography of Latin Mass Catholics (PhD thesis). University of Notre Dame. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
- ^ a b "Staff/Contact Us". Daytona Latin Mass. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b "FSSP Dayton". Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ "LifeChain 2016 in Dayton". Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. October 25, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ "Latest priest assignments announced by Priests' Personnel office". Catholic Telegraph. June 10, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2025.