Fr. Dillon finds his roots in area small towns

Catholic parishes in the area have a new priest behind the alter with Fr. Jonathan Dillon taking over the duties of serving several parishes on July 1.

He replaces Fr. Tyler Dennis who has been assigned to Canon Law studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.,

He has been assigned as Administrator of the Parishes of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Martin, Our Lady of Victory in Kadoka, St. Patrick in Wall, and St. Margaret in Lakeside.

Fr. Dillon most recently served the parishes of St. Joseph in Gregory, Immaculate Conception in Bonesteel, Sacred Heart in Burke and St. Anthony in Fairfax. 

He is experienced in giving retreats, teaching in pastoral and academic settings, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, liturgy, musical formation, and disaster organization. 

Dillon pointed out his disaster organization came about after a tornado ripped through the community of Burke where he was serving.

During the evening hours of August 6, 2019, a tornado rapidly developed in the town of Burke. This tornado produced significant damage to portions of the city center, including the school, civic center, local lumberyard and many surrounding businesses and homes.

Fr. Dillon was riding his motorcycle back from Bonesteel where he had a parish council meeting when the storm went through.

"I passed Burke just as the tornado was touching down and I remember having my bike leaned into the wind and thought, what is going on," said Fr. Dillon. "As I got home the sirens started going off."

When asked if it was difficult to pray and ride his bike into that storm he responded, "I think I prayed better that day than I did in a long time."

"It was an amazing thing to see as the town came together," he exclaimed. "I was a part of a group called the long-term recovery." Burke did not have a disaster organization at that time. "You could not drive into town the next day so I parked outside of town and hiked in. The entire community came together. It was like watching an ant colony. Nobody had to be told what to do, everybody just did their job and everybody had a chainsaw. I felt like I had to go buy a chainsaw just to fit in."

"My first few days in Martin some severe weather moved in and the sirens went off, and I said, not again Lord," he laughed. 

Fr. Dillon said after becoming a priest, he settled roots for the first time.

His parents are from Custer and he was born in Rapid City, but his father was in the military and they moved to Texas soon after he was born. He grew up primarily in Germany and Texas but points out he is a South Dakotan by blood. 

When he was in high school, his father retired from the military and the family moved back to Custer and that is where he graduated from high school. He said it was a fascinating experience going to the same high school as his mom and dad, and he even had some of the same teachers as they had.

He entered the seminary right out of high school but at that time was weighing the choice of going into the military like many of his family members had done, or entering the priesthood.

"What drew me to becoming a priest was the idea of laying down one's life, and I know that sounds Kitschy, but the idea of dying for a worthy cause," he remarked. "My entire family is very military oriented. Nearly every male in my family for the last few generations has served either in war or peace time. I was the first oldest son to not do that."

"I got involved with the church because I was fascinated with...where do you get to know people, in school and in church," said Dillon. I'd never lived in one place for more than three years until my last assignment which was seven years. I saw roots for the first time in my life. I saw friendships that lasted more than three years."

While at the seminary, he said he discovered that committing to this life is, as he put it, "there is something worth loving here and it's the people of God. This incredible enterprise that Jesus kicked off is worth every breath, it's worth it all. I discovered, here's my cause, here's my family. I found something worth to give my life to and I wanted to give my life to it."

He is the oldest of 11 children so family means a lot to him. This new assignment allows him to be closer to his family.

"One of the things I want to see here is our families thrive," he stated. "Family is everything. This (church) is the school in which we learn to be good families in our homes."

"I'm excited to be here and can't wait to make these communities my home," said Fr. Dillon. "I love South Dakota and have fallen in love with the rural culture. I joked with the people of Gregory, telling them they ruined me. Even Rapid City is too big for me now."

Some of his favorite pastimes include playing the guitar, reading, gardening, puzzles, making music and playing video games. He has a love for languages with some study in Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Spanish.

Fr. Dillon has a Bachelor's degree from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota with an emphasis on Theology and classic ancient languages; a Master of Divinity and S.T.B. from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Times for mass he will be conducting are: Kadoka, 5 p.m. Saturday; Martin, 8 a.m. Sunday; Wall, 11 a.m. Sunday; Lakeside 1:30 p.m. Sunday.