About half of Father Skok’s active ministry was spent in parish work;
the other half teaching. More often
than not, they overlapped. Father
Skok said he always wanted to be a priest, but he had no thought of being a
teacher. “That’s why I didn’t
join the Jesuits; I didn’t think I wanted to teach,” he said. He admitted he “didn’t like teaching for about the first
twenty minutes, then after that I liked it.”
Dates and places come easily to Father Skok as he talks about his life.
He was born in Jump-Off near Valley, Washington, the twelfth of fifteen
children, entered St. Edward Seminary in Kenmore, Washington when he was
thirteen years old. His first
assignment after priestly ordination was as Assistant Pastor at St. Patrick
Parish in Walla Walla, where he served from 1952-1957.
during that time, he taught in St. Patrick High School, before it became
DeSales. He was the school’s
principal for two years and coached junior high sports, “with a lot of help
from Whitman College.”
He was appointed Chancellor of the diocese in 1957 and returned to
Spokane. In addition, he was named
Spiritual Director and Superior for Marycliff High School.
Father Skok left those posts in 1960 to attend the Angelicum University
in Rome. His studies there earned
him a doctorate in moral theology. He
was in Rome the summer before the Second Vatican Council opened, and met some of
the key figures of that momentous event. Father
Skok said this became “really important.
I learned what would happen before it took place.
this helped me so much,” in being prepared for the changes that
followed the Council’s work.
When he came back to the diocese in 1962, he was named Diocesan
Superintendent of Schools. The post
was new in all the sense that it combined duties of the Superintendent of
Catholic Schools with those of the Director of the Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine - and Father Skok became responsible for both.
He was also named pastor at Holy Rosary Parish in Rosalia.
“Bishop Topel tended to give multiple jobs,” Father Skok said.
In 1964, Father Skok became pastor at St. Joseph in Trentwood, and in
1965 he was named rector at Bishop White Seminary. The seminary was still for high school students
at that time, and one of the subjects he taught was Latin.
During this period, the priest organized Bishop White into a college
seminary. Mater Cleri became the
diocese’s high school seminary.
He taught theology at Mater Cleri in Colbert in 1965.
He went to Sacred Heart Parish in Pullman in 1968, and then to Sacred
Heart Parish in Spokane in 1972. four
years later he became pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Pasco, serving there until
1980. He guided that parish in building its new parish
hall-gymnasium.
In 1980, Father Skok became Professor of Theology at Gonzaga University
and served as head of the Religious Studies department there.
He also served a third time as rector at Bishop White Seminary.
Father Skok retired in 1997, but continued teaching half-time at Gonzaga
University. He decided last fall to
cut back on his teaching duties. He
will continue, but only on a limited basis.
In June he will teach a class on “Christian Morality on a Global
Basis” during GU’s Wisdom Week.
In residence at St. John Vianney Parish, Father Skok offers Masses and
does other parish work such as preparing couples for marriage, celebrating
weddings, and funerals. He laughed
as he told about getting asked to go there.
“The Bishop asked me to make a list of parishes I might like to
serve,” he said. “When I gave
it to him, he said, ’But I want you to go to St. John Vianney.’ None of the Valley parishes were on my list.
I just hadn’t thought of them.”
Apparently it was a good match; “I’ve been there ever since,” he
said.
A hip replacement a few years ago slowed Father Skok, but
not too much. He still skis when he
can, and occasionally plays golf “but not too well.”
He enjoys the people he encounters, both teaching and through his
pastoral ministry. he appreciates
the affirmation he’s received from parishioners and students during his years
of ministry. “I seemed to have
been liked wherever I was,” he said.
The affable priest reflected on his life and how much he has seen.
He remembers the last five Popes, compared with today’s younger
generation who’ve only known Pope John Paul II.
During his stay in Rome, he met Blessed Pope John XXIII and he recalled
what a blessing that was.
Father Skok said he believes the Second Vatican Council’s greatest
impact on the laity was “primarily through liturgy. This is where they have contact with priests and where they
develop the attitudes they have.”
A man ordained to the priesthood fifty years ago can take a long view of
history:
The Church is still working on developing ecclesiology, which is its
understanding of itself.
Every town that has a church should have a permanent deacon.
“There would be deacons all over the diocese. And they would be connected with the town and with the
Church.”
Women should have a stronger role in the Church.
“Only half of the human race is involved in the Church,” he said.
Pedophilia “needs to be brought out into the open.
We need to admit where we are wrong.”
With his years of experience, his travel, his ministerial activity, his
teaching and scholarship, his words for new priests are pretty simple and
straightforward. They should
“keep learning as they practice their ministries.
Learn the people and learn themselves.”
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