New Priest in Chula Vista: The Rev. Roger Haenke

We are pleased to announce that St. John’s, Chula Vista has called the Rev. Roger Haenke to be the priest-in-charge. He will begin Monday, January 13.

The Rev. Roger Haenke was born in Hastings, Minnesota and was raised in Rugby, North Dakota. He earned two bachelor’s degrees: one in business administration with a concentration in health care and another in nursing. He also attended seminary at St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1991 and served several churches in Jamestown, Grand Forks, Fargo, and New Rockford, North Dakota.

After much discernment, the Rev. Haenke decided to leave active ministry as a priest of the Roman Catholic Church and worked as a pediatric nurse, medical center administrator, nursing director, clinic director and nursing teacher. He found his way to San Diego in 2008 and quickly became active in St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The Rt. Rev. James Mathes, fourth bishop of our diocese, received the Rev. Haenke into our diocese as an Episcopal priest in 2017. Since then he has served St. John’s, Chula Vista; St. Andrew’s, Encinitas; and most recently Holy Cross, Carlsbad as the interim vicar. Our recent convention elected him to our diocesan executive council.

As a priest, the Rev. Haenke has a passion for walking with others on their journey of faith. He says it is an honor and a privilege to celebrate intimate moments of people’s faith journeys, new birth through water and the Spirit, being fed and nourished at the table with the body of Christ, healing through anointing and reconciliation and the journey to new life through death. He says he is constantly in awe and celebrates with joy the action of the divine in people’s lives.

The Rev. Haenke feels honored to be called to lead St. John’s, Chula Vista. He looks forward with joy to supporting people as they develop and exercise their spiritual gifts, and to leading this special congregation in their growth and ministry as a faith community.

The Rev. Haenke is married to Cliff Berkowitz. They live in the Talmadge neighborhood of San Diego, which they share with their two dogs, Sadie and Oliver.

Congratulations to the Rev. Roger Haenke! If you would like to send him a welcome note, please do so by email.