Father Richard Huneger

     Father Richard Huneger was assigned pastor of St. John the Apostle in July of 2006.  The previous 12 years, he was pastor at St. Rose of Lima, in Portland, Oregon. (1994-2006).

     Father Huneger is no stranger to St. John the Apostle.  During his deacon year, 1972-1973, while teaching full time at LaSalle High School in Milwaukie, he was in residence here.  After priestly ordination on June 23, 1973, he continued at LaSalle and in residence at Christ the King, Milwaukie, until 1975.  He was subsequently assigned Associate Pastor St. John the Baptist, Milwaukie from 1975-1983;Pastor at Star of the Sea, Astoria from 1983-1987, and then Director of Pastoral Services for the Archdiocese, meanwhile in residence at Holy Cross Parish from 1987-1988 and Madeleine Parish from 1988-1994.

     A graduate of Mt. Angel Seminary High School, 1960-1964, and College, 1964-1968, and the University of Innsbruck Austria, 1968-1972, he got his start at Lincoln School, Aberdeen, South Dakota for Kindergarten, 1951-1952, and at St. Joseph School, Salem, Oregon, 1952-1960.  His family, on both sides, goes back to German-Russian stock that emigrated to the United States from the Ukraine at the end of the 19th century.  For what it's worth, his great grandfather was one of the founders of Strassburgh, North Dakota, and neighbor boy Lawrence Welk played his accordion at his maternal grandparents' wedding reception.  His father Jake passed away this year (2008), and his Mother Bernice passed away in 2003.  Bernice is buried at Willamette National Cemetery.  He has two sisters, both married, and four nieces (no nephews yet, but one grand-nephew among about half a dozen grand-nieces).  Otherwise, family is still largely back in the midwest.

     Some areas of pastoral interest have included founding, with Mike and Rose Fuller, NW Family Services. From 1985-1986 he was in collaboration with the Riggs Institued developing literacy materials.  He continues as Director of Diaconate for the Archdiocese,since 1987, as an appointed member of the Presbyteral Council, since 1988, as a Chaplain of the Catholic Physicians Guild for Portland, since 2004, and as a team member for Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend retreats, since 1988.

     Coming from a family of printers, commercial and newspaper, he has always loved the smell of printer's ink and greatly enjoys reading books.  Walking and jogging, since 1977, helps keep the cobwebs cleared from his brain.  He gave up Soapbox Derby participation at age 15, and retired from being seminary organist, 1963-1972,and parish organist, 1973-1983, once he became "lone pastor" at Astoria in 1983.  Studying foreign languages and fiddling with some computer languages for mundane programming purposes have diverted more time in his life from serious pursuits than should have been the case, but that is water under the bridge.