Monsignor Paul Enke retiring after 23 years with Granville's St. Edward Catholic Church

Any time someone has walked into St. Edward the Confessor Church over the past 23 years, they've been greeted by a smiling Monsignor Paul Enke.

"He's there for everybody, from the littlest kids that come in when he says, 'So good to see you,' to the oldest parishioner coming in, in a wheelchair," said John Martin, president of the parish council. "Everybody who sees him, their face lights up with a smile, and he smiles right back at them."

And now Enke's time with the Granville Catholic church is coming to a close with his retirement after a final service at 10 a.m. on July 9. The parish is hosting a lunch immediately following the Mass to celebrate his years of service.

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His 23 years in Granville are the longest Enke, 77, has served in one church during his 51 years as a priest in central Ohio.

“Being here at St. Edward's has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life really,” he said.

Enke has been a perfect fit for the Granville congregation, Martin said, which ranges from young families all the way to older, longtime parishioners.

"He has managed to be something for each of them and make them all feel that he's there for them," he said.

Martin said he'll miss Enke's expert ability to talk about controversial issues in a way that was levelheaded.

"He's given sermons that touch on modern issues that can tend to be very, very divisive, and he's got a way of calming those waters and saying … understand other positions, live and let live and let's move on," he said.

In his time with the Granville parish, Enke said he has loved connecting with the church's members and watching families grow.

"The thing that I will miss most is bringing the people together for Mass and being able to visit with them and share with them and preach to them," Enke said.

Another meaningful part of his work was serving as a chaplain for Denison University students. In addition to two Sunday services at St. Edward's, Enke used to celebrate Mass on the university campus on Sunday afternoons. But he had to scale back his on-campus work during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also worked with Ohio Wesleyan University students while previously serving at a Delaware church.

"I've just always enjoyed their vitality and basic goodness of the kids, really," he said.

Martin, who has been a parish member for 30 years, said Enke's made St. Edward's a welcoming place for all in the community. Every year in October, Enke, who has a beloved dog of his own named Paddy, blesses animals on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Martin said people have brought household pets, such as a dogs, cats, guinea pigs and hamsters. But the parking lot has also filled with horses, goats and even cattle.

"The entire community shows out. It's not just parishioners of St. Edward's. Everybody shows up," Martin said. "(Enke’s) there for everybody. It doesn't matter if you're a parishioner or not," he said.

Enke joined the church in 2000 and oversaw the planning and construction of the parish's new worship space, which was completed in 2004. The $4 million project saw the church at 785 Newark-Granville Road quadruple in size to hold 900 people.

Today the parish has 900 registered individuals and families, Enke said.

Enke said he's retiring now because Diocese of Columbus Bishop Earl Fernandes is requiring all priests over the age of 70 to retire. In his retirement, Enke was assigned to serve as a chaplain at Mother Angeline McCrory Manor and The Villas at Saint Therese, a nursing home and senior living community on the east side of Columbus. But Enke said he decided not to take the assignment and will continue to live in the Granville area. He hopes to help at Licking County churches when needed.

The Rev. Timothy Hayes, who was the pastor at Newark's Blessed Sacrament Church from 1996-2008, will take over for Enke on July 11. Hayes most recently has served as the pastor at Chillicothe and Waverly parishes.

In the best of circumstances, Martin said, a pastor is a mirror of and also for the community, and Enke has been just that for St. Edward's.

"If you're looking for a good shepherd, boy, he was it," he said.

mdevito@gannett.com

740-607-2175

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Monsignor Enke retiring after 23 years with St. Edward Catholic Church