Our Pastors
Together As One is lead with grace by our two pastors, Fr. Timothy Gapinski and Fr. LeRoy Scheierl. Learn more about their years of experience, personal interests, and background. Both of our pastors are available to you, regardless of your parish, in times of joy, sadness, and everything in between.
Fr. Timothy Gapinski
Fr. LeRoy Scheierl
Fr. Timothy Gapinski
Father Gapinski spent seven years studying and preparing for the priesthood in St. Paul, first at St John Vianney Seminary for three years and then at St Paul Seminary for four. Before joining the seminary, Father Gapinski was an infantryman in the U.S. Army for about five and a half years. For most of his tour he was stationed in Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He completed one 16-month deployment to Iraq.
In 2014, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of St Cloud, and now serves as pastor of St Michael Catholic Church in St Cloud and St Joseph Catholic Church in Waite Park, as well as celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass at St John Cantius in St Cloud on the first Sunday of each month.
Fr. LeRoy Scheierl
​Upbringing/Personal life:
Fr. LeRoy Scheierl was born to William and Clara (Arnold) Scheierl and raised on a large family farm near Paynesville, MN. He grew up with 5 other brothers and 2 sisters and attended St. Louis Catholic Church in Paynesville. He has a brother, Deacon Richard Scheierl, who is currently assigned at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Augustine in St. Cloud.
He enjoys the outdoors hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, biking, walking, golfing, playing guitar, painting, and working on his parent's old farm.
Education:
Fr. LeRoy graduated from Paynesville H.S. in 1978 and later received a Bachelor of Arts deg. (1983) with a double major in Biology (ecology emp.) and Earth Sciences (geology track) at St. Cloud State University. After working a short while for the U.S.G.S. (Dept. of Interior) and various other jobs, he began his seminary studies at St. John's University in Collegeville, MN. He earned his Masters of Divinity degree at St. John's in 1991 and was ordained in June of that year for the Diocese of St. Cloud.
Experience/History:
Fr. LeRoy's pastoral assignments include: Associate pastor of St. Anthony Church in St. Cloud (1991-93). Pastor of the two parish cluster of St. Francis de Sales - Belgrade and Ss. Peter and Paul - Elrosa (1993-2000); then as Pastor of the three parish cluster of St. Francis de Sales - Belgrade, Ss. Peter and Paul - Elrosa, and St. Donatus - Brooten (2000-04). He was pastor of the three parish cluster of St. William - Parkers Prairie, Sacred Heart - Urbank and St. Nicholas - Belle River (2004-08); then pastor of the four parish cluster of St. Ann - Brandon, Sacred Heart - Urbank, Seven Dolors - Millerville, and St. William - Parkers Prairie.