Welcoming Father Woodhouse!

This year, students have returned to the school hallways to find that several changes have occurred here at La Salle. One of the most significant changes of all was perhaps the arrival of our new chaplain, Father Woodhouse. The story of his journey to priesthood is not only out of the ordinary, but also serves as an inspiration for those people who are uncertain of the direction in which their life is moving.

The majority of Father Woodhouse’s childhood was spent moving from state to state with his parents and four siblings due to his father’s work. When he was in fourth grade, his family was finally able to settle down in the state of Connecticut, where he and his siblings attended public schools. His dream was to become a pilot, so he applied to and attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, when the time came for him to go to college. There, he studied liberal arts with a concentration on flight training. After graduating, he entered the Marine Corps as a student naval aviator. He traveled to Pensacola, Florida to start his flight training, but because his vision did not meet the 20/20 requirement, he was reassigned as a supply officer for a Marine helicopter squadron. After serving in the Marines, he was offered a position in the flight departments of Texas Instruments and Raytheon, for which he spent twenty-five years flying. The job entailed working with several branches of the military, traveling, and testing military weapon systems. Though he was stationed in both Texas and Arizona, he frequently flew around the western United States, including California, and New Mexico. The long-term results of his time with Texas Instruments and Raytheon were very rewarding, as he was granted the opportunity to meet a number of good people and gain several life experiences.

Traveling has always been a significant aspect of Father Woodhouse’s life, and it did not stop with his job. Next to flying airplanes, Father Woodhouse has an interest in history, specifically the history of World War II, and has traveled to England and France to visit several historic sites and battlefields of the war. He has also visited Mexico, Canada and Panama for work related assignments. Despite the fact that he had thoroughly enjoyed his life thus far, he knew in his heart that something from it was missing.

Though it took some time and approximately twenty years of receiving recommendations to do so, Father Woodhouse made the tough decision to give up the life he had come to love to follow God’s calling. His lifelong goal was to fly airplanes and get married, but as God constantly reminded him, that was not his destiny. It required leaving much behind, but Father Woodhouse has never once regretted his decision. Since joining the priesthood, he has traveled to Rome, Italy and Portugal, and prior to working at La Salle, he was the administrator of St. Patrick’s Church in Cumberland, Rhode Island. He is thrilled to be a part of the community at La Salle and is looking forward to a long stay as our chaplain. “The feelings of family, community, and hospitality are impressive,” he expressed, and described his first weeks at La Salle as a “positive experience.” As he has spent most of his life traveling and moving about, he is eager to settle in one place and become a member of a welcoming community like La Salle. With his life changing decision to become a priest in mind, he gave his advice to students: “To discover your vocation, pray to God and follow your heart, and when you find it you’ll be fulfilled as a human being.”