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Psychology background helps priest engage families as well as business leaders
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March 1, 2021Father Dave Heney, 68, has been selected as recipient of the 2020 West Region Chaplain Award in recognition of his 20 years of outstanding service as chaplain of California’s Ventura/LA North Chapter. He will receive the award in person at the Legatus West Summit in Santa Barbara in September.
He grew up in Thousand Oaks, CA, with his twin brother, Dennis. The family helped found St. Paschal Baylon Parish, where he would return to serve as pastor 2002-14. He planned to become a filmmaker, then opted for the seminary instead.
He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1978 and went on to earn a counseling degree. He has served at a variety of parishes and has been pastor of St. Bruno Church in Whittier since 2016. His interests include travel and biblical archeological studies, and he has led an annual archeological pilgrimage to the Holy Land since 2006.
He is active in producing content for print and broadcast media (visit www.daveheney. com), and most recently was host of Relevant Radio’s Family Rosary Across America.
Why did you want to go to the seminary?
I was inspired by the priests in my parish for faith and my parents who instilled in me a focus on clear thinking. My father was a scientist from whom I learned that truth is “out there” and not just what I might want it to be. From my mother I learned honesty and integrity. I think those ideas protected me from the “relativism of truth” so prevalent today. The elements of our faith first were puzzles for me that I deeply wanted to honestly understand and then make clear to others.
How has your background in counseling helped you?
A parish is largely made up of families, so my master’s degree in family psychology from USC has been immensely helpful. I can understand quickly what is going on with families and offer practical advice to help make things better. My psychology studies helped me realize how profoundly healthy our faith is for families and parishes. A business or company is also like a family of different people, so the same practical ideas from psychology also help there.
You lead annual pilgrimages to the Holy Land. What is the best way to get the most out of a trip there, and what are some of your favorite sites?
People often have intentions in mind when they begin their journey. The best mindset on your way to the Holy Land is to make yourself “open” to receive whatever insights God has in store for you. They may not be what you expect. I have been there 18 times, and each year brings unexpected and welcome insights.
My favorite place is the Gethsemane Cave, which is adjacent to the Garden of Gethsemane, where archaeologists believe Jesus met with his disciples almost every day (John 18:2). A cave is cool in summer and warm in winter so it would make sense that He met with them there rather than outside in the garden.
Why did you want to be a Legatus chaplain?
I was actually asked because I knew so many of the members. I then became profoundly impressed at the Legatus mission to make business leaders effective ambassadors of the mission of the Lord. To be a business leader of many employees today is an amazing gift. I know our faith provides just what families need to be healthy and offers the same insights for any business. I have always wanted to provide the best of my efforts to support our Catholic business leaders in their faith.
