By Richard Tew/Faithful column correspondent
I was ten minutes early to my interview with Fr. Bob Barras, head pastor at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Clear Lake. On my way to his office, I found Fr. Barras snapped photos around the church walkway with his Fuji camera.
Once in his office, I noticed an eclectic collection of photos, all with professional quality, adoring the walls. Pictures from southwest America’s deserts and canyon country, Scotland and other far away destinations reminded me more of an art gallery more than the administration office of a local pastor.
Fr. Barras is someone I have come to know more and more through my weekly attendance at a church so different in many ways from my own. It’s been a needed refuge during a tumultuous few years. Though I have a church home, it’s not open and as available as some others.
Despite its differences, my times at St. Bernadette provided focus, peace of mind and plenty of prayerful reflection for life’s daily challenges.
Most of the time it was Fr. Robert Barras who led each Mass. His calm demeanor, soft voice and welcoming presence has made each service welcoming and meaningful. His homilies always resonate with my life and I have found myself, pen-in-hand, jotting down key points in his brief messages.
Fr. Barras spent his youth in west Houston and attended St. Cecilia Catholic Church in the early 1960’s. He says his early life and the faith instilled by his parents played a big part in his eventually becoming a priest. Even still, Fr. Barras says the desire to become a priest wasn’t a foregone conclusion when he was a child.
According to Fr. Barras, it wasn’t until his high school days that he began to consider the possibility of entering ministry.
After high school, Fr. Barras left Houston and went to Texas A&M to study biology for a year. He would find himself back in Houston and attend seminary training at The University of St. Thomas.
“As a young boy I came home and said Mass on the fireplace mantel with Necco wafers and my brothers and sisters as altar servers. We did that in those days,” said Fr. Barras. “I had no plans to be a priest, living in the Catholic Faith was just part of our lives, it was just who we were. Faith was always a part of our family.”
Fresh out of seminary at 26-years-old, Fr. Barras says there was a lot of maturing that took place. Ten years on, he had been a deacon, then an associate pastor for three different churches before becoming a pastor of a church in Madisonville. Fr. Barras said the change of pace from city to life to country life taught him a lot about the willingness of people to help and the strength and bond between people in rural communities.
Fr. Barras says societies change, technologies change but at their core, people never really do.
“No, where they search for it changes and how they look for it,” said Fr. Barras. “I think inside, they want to be loved, they want to love people, they want to live in peace with each other. ”
On dealing with struggles applying our faith, Fr. Barras says it’s having people you can turn to when the rigors of daily life and work become overwhelming. He also attributes a strong prayer life to help him with his daily responsibilities as not only an evangelist but as an administrator of a church.
Having a hobby, finding a passion outside of one’s vocation can help provide balance to life. Fr. Barras says he joined a photo tour group some ten years ago and has traveled around the world taking photos and getting to meet people with a similar passion.
As for finding our own gifts and talents we can use to help others and share our faith, Fr. Barras says look inside first.
“What is my gift? What has the Spirit given me? What is the Spirit bringing to life in me?” said Fr. Barras.
Fr. Barras encourages people to start small when it comes to finding and developing their calling.
“Don’t sell the truck,” said Fr. Barras. “Just do small things, whether it’s with family or the neighborhood or with the parish or church they can be involved in.”
Fr. Barras’ overarching message on applying faith in our lives is one of being open to the possibilist all around us. “There are times where we always find ourselves in the middle of something we never thought we would do, and we are surprised we are there doing it,” said Fr. Barras. “We never planned it, we never thought about it but God and the Holy Spirit on their own maneuver us that way. If it’s really the plan for God, it’s going to work out, it’s going to be fruitful.”
Photo Cutline: Fr. Bob Barras of St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Clear Lake. Photo by Richard Tew.
To listen to my interview with Fr. Barras, follow the link here: https://fb.watch/kV1f3GYoOw/
When he is not writing on NASA or his Faithful column, Richard Tew teaches Irish dance to all ages in Clear Lake. To join visit www.tewirishdance.wordpress.com.
