Meet: Father Michael Mulhearn, CM

Father Michael Mulhearn, CM, is on a mission. If you join him, you won’t regret it. First, you’ll hear him preach. Then, he might regale you with a song. Maybe you’ll join him in visiting the sick or homebound. Perhaps you’ll take part in a discussion with the parish youth. However you encounter him, you will be affected by the joy he exudes as he conducts parish missions.

 “A parish mission is a little like the Catholic version of a revival,” says Fr. Mulhearn, one of four priests who staff the Vincentian Parish Mission Center in Independence, Missouri.

At the request of a parish, missioners from the center lead participants through a four- or six-day program to renew and invigorate the community. Parish missions were started by St. Vincent De Paul in the 17th century as a means of evangelization and renewal.

A parish mission typically includes the celebration of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Penance Services, and visiting the poor, the sick and the needy of the parish. Visits may also include schools or other parish groups. Activities are tailored to meet the unique needs of the parish requesting the mission.

 Originally assigned to work with the Vincentian Parish Mission Center for one year, it was such a good match for Fr. Mulhearn’s talents and interests that today, 28 years later, he continues to be challenged and gratified by the work.

No “revival” would be complete without music, and Fr. Mulhearn is only too happy to
provide that as well. Whether playing at a Mass, a concert during a mission, or blues at a Kansas City club, he uses music to connect with people. 

A self-taught musician, he says, “I didn’t know I could play piano until I was 12 years old. We didn’t have one at home, but my grandmother did. One afternoon when I was bored, I convinced her to remove the knick knacks, photos, and doilies from it and let me try to play. To my surprise — and everyone else’s – I was immediately able to pick out tunes. I haven’t stopped playing since.”

Fr. Mulhearn grew up as an only child in Independence and various towns in Kansas. He attended St. Johns High School Seminary in Kansas City, where his Vincentian teachers had a profound influence on him. He decided in his junior year to become a Vincentian. Surprised but supportive, his parents allowed him to complete his senior year at the seminary in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, after which he attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Perryville. “My parents were always behind me, whatever I chose to do,” he says. He still enjoys a close relationship with his mother, now in her mid-90s, who lives within easy visiting distance.

Fr. Mulhearn chose counseling as his special area of study, receiving an M.A. in counseling from DePaul University, an Ed.S. in Counselor Education from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, and a Ph.D. in Adolescent Psychology from the Heed School of Psychology and Education in Miami, Florida.

As a clinically certified sexual therapist, he works primarily with victims of abuse. He has also earned a certification in forensic psychology, which he uses on behalf of prisoners who have been unjustly accused.

Fr. Mulhearn balances his missions work with his call to counseling. “I try to see people who can’t afford to see a private practice counselor. I also receive quite a few referrals because people feel secure that a priest won’t try to shove their faith into the ackground,” he says. In 2002, he was named Mental Health Practitioner of the Year by the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph for providing psychological services to the poor.

“Working on missions, counseling, and therapy with the poor is hard work, but very rewarding. This is where I feel closest to the mission of St. Vincent,” says Fr. Mulhearn, who celebrated his 40th anniversary as a Vincentian priest in 2008. “Every once in a while God will give me a glimpse that my presence has brought someone Jesus in a small way.”

For the energetic Fr. Mulhearn, that’s ‘mission accomplished.’