Father Brian Van Hove Named New Rector of the Shrine

The Shrine welcomed our new Rector, Father Van Hove as he celebrated his first Mass here on June 22nd. It doesn't take very long to discover the very strong appreciation and respect Father Van Hove has for this religious and historic landmark. Said Father, "We tend not to have an appreciation of culture and its history in this country. To have torn down the Shrine would have been a tragedy—a total insensitivity to our sense of history." In addition, Father Van Hove was aware of all of the events leading up to the Friends having been granted stewardship of the Shrine back in 1980, saying, "I am intensely aware of the lay people who rescued the Shrine and they deserve all the credit for it having survived."

Father Van Hove grew up in Superior, Wisconsin. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1982 at the College Church at St. Louis University and later became associate pastor there, specializing in marriage preparation and weddings. In 1999, he earned a Ph.D in Church History from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., having also studied in Europe. Before his assignment to the Shrine, Father Van Hove had given retreats and spiritual direction at the White House Retreat, where he also received his Jesuit Final Vows in 2007.

Father Van Hove is a full-time priest with an office at the Shrine. Interestingly, this makes him the first Jesuit priest the Shrine has had since 1965, when the Jesuits -who founded St. Joseph's- left, turning over the church to diocesan authority. Father currently resides at St. Maximilian Kolbe House of Discernment near the SLU campus, where men who have a possible religious vocation can live, and learn about the priesthood.

Said Father, "we want the Shrine to be an integral part of the archdiocese." As such, Father suggested celebrating weekday Mass at the Shrine as well as Sunday Mass, hearing confessions, and also celebrating special novenas to St. Peter Claver. A 9:00 am Sunday Mass in Extraordinary Form, or "old rite," has already been added. Father Van Hove commented that the Shrine is one of St. Louis's best kept secrets, saying that "I hope I can contribute toward making this historic and beautiful Shrine known to more people."