It’s hard to have been at St. Francis Parish, or the schools here, for any length of time, and not know Father Jim Sabak. A “larger-than-life presence” doesn’t describe Father Jim adequately, but there may actually be no proper way to describe his presence here accurately. Since 2017, he has been a force at the parish and the Diocese of Raleigh, helping many traditional Catholics reconnect with the Church through his fresh perspective and inspiring everyone with his joyful presence.
Father Jim, though, was apprehensive when he was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi back in 2017. When asked if he was excited about going to a parish, Jim said, “No, not at all. I saw it kind of as just trying to fill a gap; trying to find a place for me and putting the square peg in a round hole.” He had not been at a parish and had been in college settings during his time as a friar. “My thing was,” he says, “I wanted to be able to get another teaching position at a college.” However, sometimes God has other plans, and our St. Francis parish schools played into that plan.
“The schools were the thing,” he says. “All priests can do a mass and baptisms. I guess people here saw my style as something they enjoyed or found different. So I guess the schools and the parish were places I found that could use my style, because not all places are like that; I was too far out there for some places. There was a parish in Providence where I would sometimes go to help out, and they were kind but not always accepting of who I was. Finding acceptance here was pretty amazing, and it was almost immediate. That struck me.”
Julie Sperrazza, a friend and former teacher at The Franciscan School in Kindergarten and First Grade, says of Father Jim, “When I think about Jim, especially his presence and his impact on the students, staff, and the St. Francis community, I can’t help but picture a guiding light. In my years as a teacher and community member, I saw how Jim shone that light on everyone around him, naturally drawing people toward it. He helped the students of The Franciscan School experience Jesus in fresh and joyful ways, teaching them that faith could be both engaging and fun. With every interaction, I believe he brought them closer to God.” She saw he had a gift for making the love of God come alive. “When he walked into a classroom,” she added, “students would leap from their seats with excitement. He knew each child and family by name, remembering something special about them. Jim forged personal connections that inspired all and drew them nearer to their faith.”
“Father Steve (Patti) took me to a first morning prayer,” Jim remembers, “and that was the first thing that I found so amazing. Everybody was gathered together in that courtyard. I could see the entire school, which was big but not overwhelming, even with 650+ students. At the end, we did the Prayer Before the Cross, and hearing the kids say that and know it by heart was wonderful. I’m thinking to myself, ‘we must have done something right here as friars, because one of our prayer forms was integrated into something important at the school here.’ Everybody was happy to see me. I think we went from there to the daily mass. Again, everybody was very, very happy, and I remember being introduced by Steve because I was standing at the back, and I said, ‘Yo’, and everybody loved that.” That was an early introduction to what we all call ‘Father Jim’s style.’
Jim Wahl, the St. Francis Director of Music and Liturgy, remembers that very moment, too! “Since virtually day one of his time here at St. Francis, Fr. Jim has been a force! When he was first introduced to the parish by Fr. Steve, as the new friar joining us, he bellowed from the back of the church his greeting.” As Mr. Wahl points out, “This would not be the last time he bellowed!” That was his signature “style” referenced earlier. “Whether at TFS, the parish offices, or from the ambo,” says Jim Wahl, “Fr. Jim preached the gospel with loud words. I’ve had the privilege of seeing him deliver academic presentations, and what is amazing is that the same personality comes across even in a “toned-down” academic setting, namely, his joy and enthusiasm for life.”
Melissa Yeazel, a parishioner, generous benefactor of St. Francis, and parent at the aptly named Franciscan School, sees Father Jim as a great gift to our parish. “Fr. Jim is a man of boundless joy and full of energy for God. ‘Christ has no hands but ours,’ and Fr. Jim lives that to the fullest. One small example is Fr. Jim’s near-perfect recall of every student’s name at the school. It’s priceless to watch every child’s expression light up when he calls them by name, welcomes them warmly to school, and says goodbye in the afternoon. Many people go through life without hearing a kind word all day. Fr. Jim makes sure that is never the case when he is around. His gifts make people feel special, welcome, worthy, and included. Those are potent and mighty gifts in this world.”
Joanie Madormo, a longtime parish volunteer and former TFS parent, agrees wholeheartedly with Melissa. “The parish and school communities love Fr. Jim’s friendly, joyful, and down-to-earth personality. His constant smile, sense of humor, and approachable nature make him instantly relatable to people of all ages.” She remembers specifically his fun spirit, “ He would walk around carpool with a backpack sprayer on, spraying students with holy water, a gesture that makes them laugh while reminding them of their faith. He would know every student by name, and it made everyone feel loved. By making Mass engaging and fun, Father Jim has helped young people feel genuinely connected to their faith, while showing the entire community that living out the Gospel can be both meaningful and joyful.”
As Joanie mentioned, his ability to draw people closer to their faith, something that might seem obvious for a priest but is not always the case, was often cited as a unique characteristic of Father Jim’s presence here. Mrs. Sperrazza says, “Jim had a gift for making the love of God come alive. When he walked into a classroom, students would leap from their seats with excitement. Whether sprinkling holy water on students at carpool, jingling bells around campus during Advent, or sharing his love of donuts, Jim forged personal connections that inspired students, staff, and families to draw nearer to their faith. In everything Jim did, he was a daily reminder of our school’s connection to St. Francis and the Franciscan order. Through his joyful spirit and constant presence, Jim brought that mission to life on our campus. His absence will be deeply felt, and his light dearly missed.”
Current Franciscan School teacher and TFS alumna, Melissa Bulick, couldn’t agree with these sentiments more: “He is loud and proud to be Franciscan, and he is loud and proud to be himself. Father Jim helps the students to know that Jesus wants a relationship with them, that there is a community that supports them, and that they should not be afraid to be wholly themselves. I think the biggest example of how people just enjoy being around him has been seeing how all of the ‘Father Jim-related activities’ metaphorically fly off the shelves during our Franciscan Experience fundraising each year. The students are begging their parents to be mini-Father Jim for the day, to cook with him, or to attend story time with him. It’s a testament to how much he gives back to the community that he’s been featured in so many past TFS musicals, cheers on our athletes at pep rallies, and is an ever-present light at morning prayer to start the day.” She emphasizes his connection to the students. “Even during his homilies at all-school Mass, he makes a point of coming out from among the pews and calls on students by name to answer questions. He has a way of making people feel seen, known, and loved, and in return has cemented himself in the hearts of many in our community.”
Father Jim returns that love for the parish and schools with equal affection. “I grew to have great affection for this place more so than any school where I’ve taught,” he says, “and that is because of these kids and their openness to me; their excitement to see me in the mornings; their joy when I am ‘goofy’ and they embrace that and enter into the sillyness as a shared joy.” Father Jim remembers, “One person once said, when I was talking to them about how much I love the school, ‘yes, and they know that you love them, too.’ That makes all the difference; you’re not doing ‘doctoral thesis work,’ but you’re doing something that’s much more important than that. Teaching at the university level is important, but sometimes in that world, you forget that before the students were here, they went through a lot of growth and maturing; growing into these college students we teach, and that whole process is vital, and I’ve seen that here.”
Father Jim also knows how unique St. Francis Parish is. “At St. Francis,” he points out, “there was a determined effort to establish the identity of the place as a Franciscan parish. It was integrated into the lives of the people who established and grew this place. They understood themselves as ‘Franciscan,’ which is not something that exists in any other parish, even Franciscan ones.” He asks, “What happens with a parish identity that is deep and is that something that grounds it, something that anchors it?” It is a different experience for the people and for the friars. “We knew that we were cared for, and if anything were to go wrong, you knew that the parish would be there to support you because you had established a relationship built upon an identity that was deeper than ‘I’m a priest, you’re the parish.’”
“St. Francis is a parish that says, talk to me, converse with me, dialogue with me, discuss with me what’s going on, and let’s see what kind of understanding arises with all of us together,” he points out. “And that, again, was part of Holy Name Province’s pursuit of parish ministry, the desire to always engage in dialogue, never to be a top-down or a haughty kind of manner when it came to human beings. We also embraced ourselves as people of the parish. At St. Francis, you didn’t have to teach this to our parishioners because they had known those facts since the beginning; that we were human beings and we lived in community together, not just with ourselves, but with everyone here.”
Father Jim is more than just a presence, though; he is a giving heart and deeply felt soul here, and that always comes through. Joanie says, “Personally, I will miss hearing Fr. Jim’s deep laugh in the halls. I will also miss how he makes every Mass so meaningful, his genuine friendship, and the many laughs we have shared. His departure will leave a noticeable gap in the heart of our community, as his joyful spirit, personal connections, and his presence at mass have been a source of inspiration for so many.”
Melissa Yeazel agrees, saying, “Fr. Jim is one of the most convivial people I’ve met. You can speak to him for 10 minutes and know that he wants to have an authentic, genuine encounter with you, free of pretense or formality. Blessed Carlo Acutis, who is an inspiration to millions of Catholic children around the world, said ‘All are born with their own originality, but many die as photocopies.’ Fr. Jim embodies that spirit. He is an original and knows how important it is to be authentic to be able to really connect with another human being during this life; It’s hard not to love that.”
The faculty, as well, know of his importance to their students’ understanding of their faith. Melissa Bulick says, “Father Jim is exceptionally gifted at simplifying complicated answers for our students, but he also is willing to engage with difficult and complex questions of our faith with adults. He has a way of making you think deeply, even with simple questions and observations. He is approachable, kind, and humorous, and has never made me feel that any question is too small, too complicated, or too silly to ask. I believe he models that same behavior for the youngest and the oldest among us, too.
Julie Sperrazza remembers his impact during her time at TFS: “In everything Jim did, he was a daily reminder of our school’s connection to St. Francis and the Franciscan order. He often pointed out that the word THE in our school’s name was intentional, that this was THE Franciscan School, with a legacy to carry out the Franciscan mission. Through his joyful spirit and constant presence, Jim brought that mission to life on our campus. His absence will be deeply felt, and his light dearly missed.”
Someone with his impact on the parish will be ‘dearly missed,’ as Julie said, but that impact remains, and the message continues. “While he may not be physically present, I know he will keep our community close to his heart through prayer and visits, and I hope he continues his digital reflections so we can all be inspired by his candor,” says Mrs. Bulick. “We will miss him so much, but, just as when the friars departed in 2020, he has helped to inspire a core community of believers intent on carrying on our Franciscan traditions. It’s in the very foundation of this community.”
