May 2023

Your generous support for priest retirement and the Priest Pension Plan is vital to supporting the Archdioceses' retired priests, who have dedicated their lives in service to God and the Church. This July, Fr. David Ambrosy and Fr. David Kucera (Holy Family Parish in Reinbeck) will be retiring from active priesthood and entering their next chapters as retired priests.

In the interview below, learn more about Fr. David Ambrosy as he reflects on his years of active ministry and what's next for him. Fr. Ambrosy is currently serving as associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Bellevue, St. Catherine Parish in St. Catherine, St. Donatus Parish in St. Donatus, and Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Springbrook. 

Meet Fr. David Ambrosy

Rev. David Ambrosy is a native of Zwingle, IA, and the second of eight children. He attended Catholic grade school, Andrew High School, and then Loras College to obtain a business administration degree. Following his graduation from Loras, he worked as a building inspector for an insurance company before receiving the calling to enter formation. He entered seminary in Minnesota, and continued on in Maryland before being ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Dubuque on May 25, 1985.

After ordination, his first assignment was at St. Anthony’s Parish in Dubuque. Throughout his time in active ministry, he has served churches in Dubuque, Marion, Cresco, Decorah, Anamosa, Postville, Mount Vernon, Vinton, Springville, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Waverly and Bellevue, as well as serving as chaplain in several hospitals and at Mount Mercy College.
 

What are your plans for retirement?

Fr. Ambrosy: I plan to live at St. Patrick’s Parish in Cedar Falls and help Fr. Ivan Nienhaus and the other priests in the area to celebrate Mass and the sacraments. I’ve always loved being a parish priest and I want to stay close in retirement to celebrating Mass and the sacraments with the people in the parishes because they are the priest’s spiritual family.

For the last three years I’ve been an associate in Bellevue, and I will miss Bellevue and its people. My home area is also 15 miles from there - my home parish being St. Lawrence in Otter Creek. 

What spiritual practices have been influential on your faith life throughout your priesthood?

Fr. Ambrosy: In my years of priesthood, celebrating Mass each day, Liturgy of the Hours, the sacraments, praying the rosary, and praying with people at meetings and at parish functions have all sustained me in my spiritual life.

What advice would you offer younger priests who are just beginning their service as pastors and associate pastors? 

Fr. Ambrosy: First, make God and prayer the center of your life. Second, have priest friends who will be there with you to support you, and for you to support them. Third, stay close to your family, your parents, your brothers and sisters, and the people who have helped sustain you through the years of your life.

It seems like just yesterday I was ordained on May 25, 1985 with Fr. Mark Osterhaus and Fr. Neil Manternach. The time has gone so fast and God has blessed me in many ways through the many parishes and colleges and hospitals that I’ve served. The time goes so fast as a priest, but God is there to sustain you through it all.

What will you miss most about active priesthood?

As you retire, what message would you like to convey to the younger generations about having a faith life and being part of the Church?

Fr. Ambrosy: Through my years working as a priest and in the colleges and hospitals, I have said that people need to make God the center of their life and make their prayer life important, as there are so many obstacles in their way each day that take them away from God. Making God and faith a center of their life is something to hold onto during difficulties in their life, but also to see that God is present in the joys and celebrations of their life, well as in the sorrows.

What would you say to someone who has supported priest retirement through ArchdioceseOne?

Fr. Ambrosy: With priest retirement, it’s important the priests receive their pension that’s the same as what they receive right now for salary (during active ministry). In retirement, priests pay for their room and board, while in the past when they were an active priest, the parish paid for their room and board.

Thanks to your sacrificial gift, over $15.7 million has been raised for the ArchdioceseOne special appeal. Over $7.7 million of this amount has been left unrestricted, and over $2.2 million has been restricted to Priest Retirement.