Welcome to a website dedicated to the work and ministry of Father Adam Park.
Father Adam Park is a native Washingtonian. He grew up in Bethesda, MD, and graduated from Walt Whitman High School. During his senior year in high school, he discerned that God was calling him to the priesthood, and so, turning down a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame to pursue a degree in engineering, Father Park decided to join the seminary.
After being accepted into the seminary formation program, the Archdiocese of Washington sent Fr. Park to St. Pius X Seminary in Scranton, PA, where he graduated with a BA in philosophy from the University of Scranton. For his major seminary studies, Fr. Park was sent to the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy, and received an S.T.L. in Fundamental Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Fr. Park was ordained to the priesthood in 2005. He served as a parochial vicar at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Rockville, MD from 2006-2008. He was then assigned to be the priest secretary to His Eminence, Cardinal Donald Wuerl until 2012. After his service to the Cardinal, he was named pastor at Epiphany Catholic Church in Georgetown. Fr. Park was given the additional assignment of Chaplain to the Newman Catholic Student Center at George Washington University in January 2015 while remaining pastor at Epiphany Catholic Church. In July 2016, Fr. Park was then transferred to be the pastor at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. while remaining as chaplain at the Newman Center at George Washington University.
After only one year at his new parish, Fr. Park’s alma mater, the Pontifical North American College, requested to the Archdiocese of Washington that Father Adam Park take on the responsibilities of Vice Rector for Seminary Life/Director of Human Formation at the seminary in Rome. Having agreed to release Fr. Park for this position, he began this role in August 2017 and concluded the work in July 2021. Since then, Father Park returned to the Archdiocese of Washington where he has been assisting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.
This website will provide Father Park with an outlet to not only update the public on where his priesthood journey takes him but discuss different aspects of Catholicism and spirituality. When people discover that Father Adam Park had a scholarship in place to the University of Notre Dame, they are often curious how he knew God was calling him to the priesthood. It’s important that men and women notice the signs in their life, so that they can serve God in the way that He is calling them to.
Particularly to the vocation of priesthood, Father Adam Park encourages a Catholic man to be aware of his desires in his heart if God is calling him to be a priest. This is not a desire that everyone has. When Jesus places a desire for the priesthood in a person’s heart, it’s vital that he prays on it and discuss this calling with a priest he admires. The priesthood is only a mission that should be sought out by those who have a deep love for both Jesus and his Church. This is not to say that priests do not sin or that people who aspire to be priests don’t err along the way. However, the priesthood does require that a man is committed to loving Jesus above all else.
Seminarians often say that others told them that they would make a good priest. A lot of the time this comes simply from the fact that young men are committed to getting involved in the liturgy or various groups at their parish. Father Adam Park notes that this encouragement often leads young men to the seminary.
Ultimately, men who seek out the priesthood are not only committed to getting closer to God themselves, but they have a passion for spreading His Word and helping others grow closer to Christ. There are few things more rewarding for a priest than seeing parishioners strengthen their bond with Christ. This is typically seen through acts of service and generosity. We all are called to utilize our gifts, because God provided us with those gifts for a reason. Whether it’s a call to the priesthood, participating in parish life, or serving the poor, utilizing one’s talents is a great way to honor God.
If you are looking for ways you can grow closer to God and improve your spiritual connection, be sure to read the latest blog posts from Father Adam Park.