SAINT IRENE BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH FATHER

FR. FRANK KNUSEL

I was born in Portland Oregon at the Old St. Vincent's Hospital. I grew up on a family run dairy farm near Scappoose. My Mother and I live in the same house that I spent my childhood, grade school, high school and college years in. I attended Scappoose Grade School grades 1-4, and then St. Frederick's Catholic School in St. Helens, OR, grades 5-8. I attended Scappose Union High School(public) and graduated from there. From age 7-17, I took piano lessons and studied classical music. From age 14-21 I took clarinet and saxaphone lessons from a well known teacher in the Portland area, Mr. Edwin Flenner. I also attended the University of Portland from 1959 to 1963 and graduated from there with a B.S. degree in Physics with a minor in Mathematics, and Music Theory, magna cum laude. During High School and College, I also played lead parts in our family Swiss Folk Music Orchestra. In the four years at the University of Portland, I was also enrolled in the Air Force ROTC program and at graduation I was commisioned at a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force. Through the Air Force ROTC I also obtained a Private Pilot's Licence at Portland International Airport. Later that year (1963), I began Pilot Training in the T-37 and T-38 aircraft and received my "Wings" on Dec.8, 1964 at Webb AFB in Big Spring, Texas. I was then transfered to Travis AFB near Fairfield, CA, where I was assigned in Jan. 1965 as a pilot in a Air Transport Squadron. Through early 1965 I again studied musical composition with Professor Jerome Rosen at U of California at Davis. During the next four years, while being stationed at Travis AFB, I flew on many missions to South Vietnam in the Lockheed C-141 Transport aircraft. We often had rest stops at Clark AFB in the Phillipine Islands, where I met a chaplan who encouraged me to go to the seminary. I was getting disalusioned with the war, because we were transporting so many wounded servicemen and the casulties of the war back to the USA. After being discharged on Dec. 8 1968, I contacted the Archdiocese of Portland, to begin studies for the priesthood. I again returned to the University of Portland, to complete necessary courses in philosophy, and also completed courses in Tonal Counterpoint and 20th century composition. In September 1969 I began Theological Studies at Mount Angel Seminary. During this time, I also became acquainted with seminarians from Mexico who were at the seminary at that time. Through them I learned the Spanish Language, and met many Mexican families in the Mt. Angel and Woodburn Areas. In addition to the Theological Studies, I also undertook the study of the Pipe Organ both at Mt. Angel Abby and Willamette University in Salem OR. I was ordained Deacon on Aug. 24, 1972 at St. Patrick's Church in Independence OR, and to the Priesthood on May 12, 1973 at St. Wenceslaus'Church in Scappoose, OR by Most Rev. Robert Dwyer, Archbishop of Portland. After Ordination I worked in the Spanish-speaking Apostolate with Fr. Frank W. Kennard out of Dallas, OR. In June of 1974 I was assigned to administer the St. Alexander's Parish in Cornelius Oregon, at which both English and Spanish Masses were celebrated. On July 1, 1978 I was also appointed Episcopal Vicar for the Spanish-Speaking people of the Archdiocese of Portland. In 1980 I also initiated the Spanish Masses at St. Patrick's Church in NW Portland. On July 1, 1985 I was formally appointed administrator of the whole parish of St. Patrick's, having only worked with the Spanish speaking up to that time. At this time a weekly Sung Latin Mass with the highly regarded choir Cantores in Ecclesia was initiated. We had three Masses at St. Patrick, Spanish, English and Latin. A high point on October 21, 1987 was the Papal Audience the Cantores choir and my parents had with John Paul II at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. While I was still at St. Patrick's, on June 29, 1988 Fr. Joseph Stanichar of St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church in Seattle, started celebrating the Byzantine Liturgy. The community that attended this Liturgy eventually became the Mission of St. Irene's Byzantine Catholic Church. At this time Fr. Stanichar taught me the Byzantine Rite. On October 4, 1998 I was relieved of my position as Administrator of St. Patrick's Church. I continued after this time with the Spanish Masses at Immaculate Heart Church in Stayton, OR and also helped out when needed at the St. Irene's Byzantine Mission. On August 16, 2004, I was assigned by Bishop William Skurla DD. OFM Eparch of Van Nuys, as Administrator of St. Irene's Parish.