Meet Fr. Alex Zenthoefer, Our New Cathedral Rector

Fr. Alex Zenthoefer fondly remembers spending long hours with his siblings laboring in support of his childhood parish. He was raised at Sacred Heart, where his mother served as the Director of Religious Education.

The parish became a home for him. It was a place where he felt supported and encouraged. It was also where he met and worked with Fr. Eugene Dewig, his pastor and the greatest influence on his vocation.

“It was also the place where I first felt called to the priesthood,” Fr. Alex says. “I remember serving in fifth grade and being enamored by the mystery of what happened during Mass. That fascination with the Mystery of God is still one of the driving forces thatmotivates and informs my ministry.”

Fr. Alex became the Vicar General for the Diocese of Evansville in June of 2021, and the position has opened his eyes to the vast issues faced by the Church on a diocesan level. It has also made him more sympathetic to those who are struggling, both laity and priests, and joyful to see how grateful our people are for our priests.

“One thing is clear — we need to pray for our priests,” he says. “They are burdened with things that a priest 40 years ago would have never dreamed of. We are ordaining men to run parishes, and their responsibilities rival those of many CEOs, and all the while, our priests are asked to care for the souls entrusted to them. It is a heavy load, and priests need our prayers.”

On June 30, Fr. Alex takes on a new role as Rector of St. Benedict Cathedral. He’s most looking forward to getting to know the faith community.

“Every parish offers a new perspective on the face of Christ — this is the beauty of the Church,” Fr. Alex says. “The more we share our experience of Christ, the more we can see Him in His fullness. This is my greatest desire — to know Christ more fully, knowing that He is the source of every joy and every hope.”

As he looks to the future, Fr. Alex’s primary goal is to follow Christ and to listen. He encourages young people and families to spend time together in silence so that we can all better learn to listen.

“My goal is to be obedient to Christ’s voice, and I realize that I can only do this if I am willing to listen to the people around me, to those who are also searching for Him,” Fr. Alex says. “Everything else is secondary to following Christ. Setting goals will be important and preparing a vision for the future will come in time, but there is no program that can replace the presence of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Fr. Alex would like to ask the faith community of St. Benedict to “show your faith” and what it looks like for you to follow Christ.

“I want to learn from your experience of faith and what God has been doing in your life,” Fr. Alex says. “I look forward to learning from you and growing in my priestly vocation by tending to your needs. You are a gift to us, and we look forward to celebrating that gift with joy!”

If you would like to speak with Fr. Alex Zenthoefer, please reach out to him through email at azenthoefer@evdio.org or through St. Benedict Cathedral Parish’s office at 812-425-3369.

Fr. Alex Zenthoefer celebrates the completion of his Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching.

We welcome Fr. Alex Zenthoefer as our new Rector here at St. Benedict Cathedral.