Virginia chaplain baptized his own father

Northern Virginia chaplain FR. ROBERT RIPPY’s father was in the Marines . . .

Fr. Robert Rippy

Fr. Robert Rippy
Northern Virginia Chapter

Father Robert Rippy has served as rector of the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, Va., since 2005. Ordained in 1984, he pursued Canon Law studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, receiving his licentiate of Canon Law (JCL) in 1988. He’s held many positions during his 31 years as a priest. He has served as chaplain to the Arlington County Police Department; he’s served on the board of directors of the Arlington Catholic Herald; and he was chancellor of the Diocese of Arlington. Father Rippy spoke with Tim Drake.

Tell me about your family.

I’m an only child. My father is deceased, and my mother still lives here in Virginia. She is very independent and comes from tough Italian stock. I was born in Cherry Point, N.C. My dad was in the Marines and we stayed in North Carolina until he retired in 1965. He and my mother met while he was assigned to Quantico, Va.

What led you to consider the priesthood?

My mother had told me that I used to tell her that I was going to be a priest when I was four or five years old. I would go to Mass with her during the week, and she said that I would follow along in my missal during Mass. I began to think about the priesthood in sixth or seventh grade.

The example of my home pastor, the late Monsignor Francis Bradican, was a strong influence in my life. He would come over to dinner at our house several times during the year and I got to know him. He would serve as the master of ceremonies during the big Masses in my parish for many years even before I entered the seminary.

Has there been a highlight for you as a priest?

One of highlights of my priesthood was studying in Rome and meeting a future saint of the Church. I was sent to the Gregorian University to obtain my license in Canon Law from 1986 to 1988. Many times we priests living at the graduate house of the North American College had the opportunity to distribute communion at the various papal Masses that occurred during the year. I also had the privilege of concelebrating Mass with St. John Paul II in his private chapel on three different occasions.

What makes Legatus’ Northern Virginia Chapter stand out?

I would say that it’s both a blessing and a curse to be in the Northern Virginia area where all the high-ranking government officials live and worship. It’s definitely a challenge to preach to those who like to separate their Catholic beliefs from their political life. It’s a blessing for our chapter to be able to draw great speakers for our chapter events.

Tell me something most people wouldn’t know about you.

While a deacon, I had the joy of baptizing my father. My dad was not a Catholic as I was growing up. In my later years of grade school and high school, he started attending Sunday Mass with my mother and me.

Once again, my mother reminded me that I once said that my dad would eventually become Catholic. Unbeknownst to me and my mother, he took “convert classes” from my home pastor during my diaconate year in the seminary. When I was home for Christmas that year, my pastor called to tell me that my dad was ready to be baptized into the Church and that he thought it would be a good idea if I did it. I’ve remarked to some people that he was the biggest baby I’ve ever had to baptize in my priesthood!

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