Welcome, Fr. Brett Williams!
We are excited to welcome Fr. Brett to St. Josaphat Parish as he officially begins this new chapter of ministry with us on July 1st!
Fr. Brett was born in Pietermaritzburg, the capital of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, and grew up in Botha’s Hill, a small town between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. The eldest of three siblings, he has a sister, a brother and a step-brother, as well as a large extended family that includes seven nieces and nephews and two great-nieces. His mother still lives in South Africa, while much of his family is in Bath, UK.
Before entering the priesthood, Fr. Brett earned a Master’s in Science from the University of Natal and taught at a university outside Durban. At age 29, he entered St. John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria and was ordained—he’ll celebrate his 20th anniversary this December!
Fr. Brett brings rich pastoral experience, having served as pastor of a large city parish and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Durban before coming to the U.S. Most recently, he served as associate pastor at St. Clement for a year and a half.
Fr. Brett is passionate about forming and equipping others for mission, developing leaders and finding new ways to spread the Gospel and renew parish life. He looks forward to building on St. Josaphat’s strong foundations, meeting new people and collaborating to define our mission and vision. Among his hopes for this first year are running a dynamic Alpha program and creating opportunities for our teens to come together.
In his free time, Fr. Brett enjoys reading, especially biographies and history (he loved Pillars of the Earth), listening to music, traveling and staying active—he’s an early riser who’s often at the gym or out running before prayers and Mass! A lifelong sports fan, he enjoys cricket, rugby and soccer. His favorite saint is St. Catherine of Siena, whom he admires for her impact on the Church and the world.
Fr. Brett wants the community to know that his door is always open, and he looks forward to hearing ideas and suggestions that will help strengthen our parish and its mission. Please join us in offering him a warm welcome at all Masses the weekend of July 5–6.
Welcome to St. Josaphat, Fr. Brett! We are blessed to have you with us.
