Over 1.2 billion Catholics exist in the world. They make up for 16% of the world’s population. The religion has such a diverse group of believers who worship the teachings of God and listen to the preachings of the current Pope, Pope Francis. The Catholic Church remains the largest in the world, and people thoroughly dedicate a part of their life to practice their religion and share their faith with family and friends.
While some people just assign a certain amount of days a week to attend church and practice faith, others invest their entire life to Catholicism. One of these individuals is a pastor by the name of Father George Rutler. He was born in 1945 and, during his childhood, realized that becoming involved in the Catholic church was what he wanted to achieve throughout his life. He became the youngest Episcopal rector in the country when he headed the Church of Good Shepherd in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. He also served as an Episcopal priest for nine years. His passion for religion early on led him to contribute so much to the Church before he even was old enough to attend college.
After being officially received into the Catholic Church in 1979, Rutler was sent to the North American University in Rome for seminary studies. From then on, he graduated from Dartmouth as a Rufus Choate Scholar and also took advanced courses at Johns Hopkins University and the General Theology Seminary. To continue on his educational path, Father George Rutler obtained a Pontifical Doctorate in Sacred Theology degree from the Gregorian and Angelcum Universities. After receiving a degree in Masters of Studies from the University of Oxford in England, he decided to be a regular preacher to the students, faculty, and townspeople of Oxford, solidifying his years of education and experience.
After many years of earning degrees at several universities around Europe, Rutler found himself in the United States, serving as an Associate Pastor for numerous churches in New York, including St. Joseph’s in Bronxville; Our Lady of Victory on Wall Street; and St. Agnes in Midtown Manhattan. To even further portray his level of commitment, he spent ten years as the National Chaplain of Legatus, which was an organization of Catholic business leaders that engaged in spiritual formations along with their families. Rutler feels his best when he is preaching to fellow believers. He regularly has lectures and retreats in many countries around the world. He knows that teaching the lessons of the Catholic Church is what he was meant to do in life.
To get to where he is today, he first became a pastor on September 17th, 2001 when Cardinal Egan appointed him pastor of the Church of Our Savior. His current position as pastor of the Church of St. Michael the Archangel was given to him by Cardinal Dolan in 2013. He is known around the world as one of the most important representatives of Catholicism. He has made documentaries in the United States and England, and is also the author of approximately thirty books on history, cultural issues, theology, the lives of the saints, and he even has a book about sports! He provides input on scholarly journals as well. Father George Rutler is a prime example of a person who dedicates their entire life to the Catholic Church. Whenever an opportunity comes up to teach the Lord’s lessons, he takes advantage of it. That is what separates him from many other Catholic leaders, he never misses a chance to become more involved in the church and help guide believers down the right path in order to live a long and happy life.