TESTIMONIALS

Back to their parishes: Fr. Rodriguez and Fr. Balluff share the fruits of their sabbatical last autumn.

18 Years or Almost Twice that Long: Two Journeys, the Same Need for a Sabbatical at the Institute of Continuing Theological Education in Rome. Listen to Fr. Rodriguez and Fr. Balluff in a joint interview.

Today, in a joint interview, Fr. Rodriguez and Fr. Balluff tell us why their sabbatical was so important—not only for themselves, but also for their parishioners and their bishop.

For Father John Balluff, Rome was not entirely new. After his ordination in 1988, he spent two years there, earning a Doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Since then, he has always held pastoral responsibilities in the Diocese of Joliet. A former Episcopal Vicar for Clergy, he is now pastor of St. Isidore.

Father Rafael Rodriguez-Fuentes also began traveling at a young age. Born in Mexico City, he moved to the United States as a seminarian at Mount St. Mary’s in Maryland before being ordained in 2007 by the Bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln. A former Vicar for Hispanic Ministry, he is now pastor of Cristo Rey Parish, the Hispanic parish in Lincoln, while continuing to collaborate with the Spanish-speaking apostolate.