A missionary who lifts weights can lift up hearts, too

He is: Claretian Missionary Father Arthur Gramaje (pronounced Gram-AH-hay), pastor of Holy Cross-Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. Previously pastor in Prescott, Ariz.  Has also ministered in Texas and California. Ordained in 1994. Has been in Chicago since July 13, 2012.

Family: “Both my parents were from northern Philippines. I was born and raised in Seattle, Wash. When it gets overcast and drizzly here, I get nostalgic. I went to public and then Catholic school, fifth through eighth grade. High school was John F. Kennedy Catholic School in Seattle. My brother, 16 years older, died in 2000. My father, who died in 2008 at 97, was 52 when I was born. My mother is still living and will celebrate her 90th birthday in May, in the same home I grew up in. My sister-in-law and nieces live close by, but Mom still lives on her own.

“Dad came over as a field worker in 1927. He lived through the Depression. In 1937 he joined the U.S. Coast Guard. He was a cook and cabin steward, that’s all the military let Filipinos do in the ’30s. In 1956 he retired from the Guard and spent 21 years at the U.S. Post Office as a janitor in Seattle. One of the lessons he taught me growing up is when we’d see a penny on the sidewalk he’d pick it up and say, “If you get a hundred of these you’ll have a dollar!” I grew up appreciating the value of money and how to bank. I had a paper route in grade school. Dad said, “If you save half your paycheck, you’ll be able to have a car some day!” By the time I had my license, I had enough money for a car. My father was so accepting and wonderful.

“The paper route taught me you have to do your job no matter what the weather. I’m still an early riser because of it, and get going early. It taught me all sorts of life lessons.”

Sports and priesthood: “I played basketball and started weight-lifting around age 16. I was also in martial arts in the Seattle Kung Fu Club. I was a business major as undergrad at Western Washington University, in Bellingham. Some converging factors nudged me to priesthood.

“After graduation in 1985, I worked in sales in L.A., but wasn’t satisfied. I became a youth minister at a Claretian parish —  the San Gabriel Mission — and absolutely loved it. That was where priesthood became more of a possibility. I started working in the church with priests, seeing how human they are -- meeting seminarians. I began discerning more intensely with Dominicans, Augustinians and the Archdiocese of Seattle. It was ultimately the Claretian Missionaries and our charism of evangelization and sharing the Good News in the style of St. Anthony Mary Claret. I think their emphasis on social justice was the deciding factor.

“My mentors were those priests at St. Gabriel Mission, one of the original California missions. (Claretians have staffed it since 1908.) And also the downtown L.A. church, La Pacita, where a lot of the social justice activity in L.A. was centered in the late ‘80s. It was declared a sanctuary church by our pastor, and got the topic of U.S. involvement in Central America on the front pages of the L.A. Times. We stood with the people in their plight. I finished my theology studies in Berkeley.”

Parish life: “I feel at home in Holy Cross-Immaculate Heart of Mary. My parents came over earlier than most Filipino immigrants. We grew up in Seattle right next to races and cultures of all kinds — but we were all working class. There are so many good people here in Back-of-the-Yards. The neighborhood gets caricatured as a bunch of gang kids shooting it up, and there is some of that. Unfortunately it makes the 6 o’clock news. But there are tons of wonderful people just trying to make ends meet, and do the right thing by feeding their kids and keeping them out of trouble. I wish the rest of Chicago could see that.  This parish has the most developed lay leadership training I’ve seen. Father Bruce [Willems, CMF] did a fabulous job here.”

Forms of prayer: “We have a community of four priests with one seminarian. We do morning prayer together and Lectio Divina once a week. The strength of religious life in general, hopefully, multiplies the joys and makes the crosses less heavy to bear.

“I’ve been a practitioner off and on for many years of tai chi. It was an extension of kung fu. I’ve used it as a kind of body preparation for prayer. About two years ago I met a Catholic M.D. in Prescott who was the foundress of Sign Chi Do. It’s essentially moving prayer centered on Scripture with music. This is what I’ve been looking for, a Christianized, as it were, tai chi. I just gave a six-part series in it at Claret Center in Hyde Park. I’ve found its holistic benefits of mind, body and soul fantastic. Sign Chi Do retreats are popular among retired people because of health benefits. Kids loved it, too.”

Leisure: “I’m a big NBA fan. I follow it closely with trades, salary caps, rumored trades, personnel. When the Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 it took my heart out. I love how the Bulls are constituted — a blue-collar, defensive team. I like that kind of basketball. They’re this good and they don’t have their superstar, so when Derrick Rose gets back they’re going to be excellent.

“I play guitar for fun -- mainly self-taught, go out with friends for dinner, lunch or a movie on my day off. I recently read Rolheiser’s ‘The Holy Longing.’ I like his stuff and Jesuit James Martin.”

Favorite saint: “Mary. Our founder didn’t name us the Claretian Missionaries. Officially we are Cordis Marie Filius (Sons of the Heart of Mary). Saying ‘Yes’ like Mary in the Magnificat is a wonderful salvo for us.”

Favorite Scripture verse: “Matthew 25, the final judgment, ‘When I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty, drink …’  And also Micah, 6:8, ‘This is what the Lord God requires of you and only this, that you do justice, love tenderly, and walk humbly with your God.’ That’s been a real inspiration throughout the years.”