About Fr. Longenecker
I was brought up in an Evangelical home in Pennsylvania. After graduating from the fundamentalist Bob Jones University with a degree in Speech and English, I went to study theology at Oxford University. Eventually I was ordained as an Anglican priest and served as a curate, a school chaplain in Cambridge and a country parson on the Isle of Wight.
Realizing that the Anglican Church and I were on divergent paths, in 1995 I and my family were received into the Catholic Church. For ten years we continued to live in England where I worked as a freelance writer and charity worker. Then in 2006 the door opened to return to the USA and be ordained as a Catholic priest.
I now serve as Pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Greenville, South Carolina.
Catholic Author
I had always wanted to be a writer, but it was only when I left the Anglican Church to become Catholic I suddenly had something to write about. I began writing short articles for the Catholic press, and then a few books came along.
I’ve now published about twenty books and booklets across a range of topics: apologetics, the saints and Catholic culture. My latest book comes out in November 2017. The Mystery of the Magi- the Quest for the True Identity of the Three Wise Men. I’m working now on a big book about angels. Check out my bookstore for more. Donor subscribers receive a 15% discount on all books.
Catholic Speaker
I am always pleased to get out and meet the Catholics who keep our church going—the ordinary folks in the pews. I speak regularly at Men’s Conferences, lead parish missions and retreats and Diocesan events.
I often tell my conversion story—how I went from being a student at Bob Jones University to being a Catholic priest. I also speak on Benedictine spirituality, the Hero’s Quest of Faith and the threats to a positive, joyful Catholicism in the world today. If you would like me to speak to your group or parish, use the contact page to be in touch.
Catholic Priest
In 1995 I and my family were received into full communion with the Catholic Church. I spent ten years living and working in England as a layman. Then in 2006 an opportunity arose for me to be ordained as a Catholic priest.
We moved to Greenville South Carolina and I accepted a post as chaplain to St Joseph’s Catholic School. After five years there the Bishop of Charleston asked me to be the administrator of Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Greenville. Now I serve as pastor of the parish and minister through my writing and speaking to an ever increasing congregation around the world.
People ask how I can be married and be a Catholic priest. The Pastoral Provision is a special method which allows married men who are already ordained in the Anglican and Lutheran churches to be granted a dispensation from the vow of celibacy which allows them to be ordained as Catholic priests. You can learn more about this here.
In this picture I am celebrating Mass at St Maximillian Kolbe’s altar at his friary in Poland. As a married man I consider it a huge privilege to serve as a Catholic priest and I ask your prayers that I may fulfill my calling.
Latest Project
I always have writing projects on the go, and at this time I am devoting a good bit of time to writing poetry. I am also working on a stage play about Shakespeare the Catholic and am researching a book called Angels-The Evidence. I have a collection of children’s stories also that I am trying to work up into plays for schools.
You may have seen the beautiful new church we built at Our Lady of the Rosary in Greenville. We’ve now set out on expanding our parish school from a K4-8 school to add an upper school. The school will be small but beautiful. We’re excited to move our school forward with a strong emphasis on the liberal arts in a strongly Catholic setting.
In this picture I am celebrating Mass at Canterbury Cathedral just a few yards from the site of the martyrdom of St Thomas a Becket. We were there as part of a pilgrimage tour with my friend Joseph Pearce. Donor-subscribers are entitled to a reduced price on any of my tours.
Latest Blogs from Standing on My Head
“A scene is often most clearly seen when it is seen upside down.” G.K.Chesterton
A UFO Explanation
The news is buzzing this week with reports of UFOs buzzing around New Jersey. UFOs are certainly among the most puzzling paranormal phenomena. BTW I like Jimmy Akin's distinction between "paranormal" and "supernatural". Paranormal refers to phenomena that are [...]
What is a “valid” sacrament?
As a convert from Anglicanism I remember important conversations among my fellow Anglican clergymen about the "validity" of the sacraments. Pope Leo XII famously judged Anglican orders to be "null and utterly void", but what does that mean and [...]
The Arabian Origins of the Magi
Those who have read my 2017 book The Mystery of the Magi--The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men will be familiar with my proposal that the Magi were, first of all historical figures--and not (as mainstream Biblical scholarship supposes) [...]
Idol Speculation
I was brought up in Pennsylvania in an independent Bible Church. Our church building was a large auditorium designed for people to listen to Bible-based sermons. At the front was a big central pulpit and behind the preacher [...]