Broadcasting God's message

Longtime residents of Southeast Missouri might recognized the Rev. John Harth from the television. Current and new residents of the area may recognize him from church. In the early 1970s, Harth was on television in Cape Girardeau as a reporter and then a news anchor. More recently, Harth has been at the altar as priest of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson. He also serves St. John Catholic Church in Leopold, Mo., and St. Anthony Catholic Church in Glennon, Mo.

How long have you been involved with a church? Most of my life.

How long have you been a member of the Catholic faith? Since 1950

What drew you to serve the church in a leadership role? Like all good little Catholic boys of the '50s and '60s, I had toyed with going to seminary. But when my pastor helped me get a job at our local radio station while I was a sophomore in high school, I figured that's what God wanted, so I didn't give it much more thought. Around 1978, God started messing with me. I'd hear a song or read something in a newspaper or magazine or see something in a movie which would flit the thought of priesthood into my head, and I'd flit it right out again. I figured it was crazy. When it wouldn't go away, and after priest and sister friends allowed as how that might mean there was something to it, I slowly began moving that direction.

What education/background/studies did you go through to become a priest? I completed my bachelor's in English and got a master of arts in theology and master of divinity from the Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, Ohio, which took five and a half years.

How many years have you served as a pastor? Just over 21 years.

When did you become the priest at Immaculate Conception? July 1, 2008.

Where are you from and when/why did you move to Cape Girardeau? I grew up on a farm near Mendota, in northern Illinois, where one of my bosses at the radio station was Jim Withers. We worked together at another station, and eventually Withers Broadcasting offered me the job of news and sports director at WMIX in Mount Vernon, Ill. Just before moving there, they changed their mind and asked me to come to KGMO in the same capacity. That was May of 1973. After a year there, I was hired by KFVS12 as a reporter/anchor. When I quit to go to seminary, I was anchoring The Breakfast Show and doing the weather at noon.

Were you involved with IC before becoming the pastor? Diocesan Catholic priests are assigned to parishes by our bishop. I had been in Oran, Mo., for seven years before coming here, and had served 15 years in the western part of the diocese before that. Most of my knowledge of Jackson came from covering the County Court (Commission) and Jackson city council during the channel 12 days and having friends living here.

What do you think makes this church special? It is the largest and most diverse parish in which I've had the privilege of serving. My fellow parishioners exhibit a wide variety of spiritual expression and lived faith.

What's your favorite verse and why? John 3:8. "The wind blows where it will. You hear the sound it makes but you do not know where it comes from, or where it goes. So it is with everyone begotten of the Spirit." It describes the unusual and somewhat unlikely way God called me to ministry.

What program have you done with Immaculate Conception that you are particularly proud of and why? I don't see my role as some program or thing "I" might or might not have done. My prayer is to find where it is God wants us to go and move that direction.

What events or occasions does your church have coming up? This afternoon at 2 we're hosting the conclusion of services sponsored by the Jackson Ministerial Alliance during the National Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. And Catholic Schools Week begins Jan. 31, so we're gearing up for a Home and School breakfast from 7 to 11 that morning and school Open House from noon to 1:30 p.m.

What's your favorite day of the week and why? Are you kidding? It has to be Saturday evenings/Sunday, because I get to gather around the table of the Lord for Mass with our parish family.

What's your favorite part of being a pastor? Preaching and helping folks come to the Lord or get back to him when they've been away for awhile.

What hobbies do you have? Attending the various activities of our young people, be they sporting events or other school-related activities, scouting, musical performances, those sorts of things.

What else do you do besides serve as pastor? I'm a volunteer chaplain for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Cape Girardeau, Scott and Bollinger County Sheriff's Offices, Jackson and Kelso Police, Jackson Fire/Rescue, and the Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management Agency.

Do you have a prayer, psalm or verse you would like to give our readers for the day? Psalm 121, which begins: "I raise my eyes to the mountains; from where shall come my help? My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."