Answering the Call

Michael Boulette ’72, M.A. Psychology

From his earliest thoughts, San Antonio’s newest auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of San Antonio felt called to be a priest.

The former Monsignor Michael Boulette was appointed to that rank by Pope Francis on Jan. 23, 2017. At his ordination mass on March 20 at St. Mark Catholic Church, alternating between English and Spanish, Michael delivered an eloquent address in which he said, “The call to be a bishop opens us to a joyful response to God, but it is also a grave responsibility... I pray that God will give me sufficient grace to serve you and our people with deep faith and hearty courage.”

Among the assembled guests, which included priests, deacons, seminarians, and his family, was Michael’s 96-year-old mother. Of the woman he calls “the constant joy of my life,” he says, “I am profoundly blessed to have her witness this day. She has never been jealous of God’s call of my life and has always directed me to His presence and love.”

Born in New York and raised in Texas, Michael’s path to the priesthood and rise through the Catholic hierarchy began with his mother and grandparents who were “gracious witnesses of the power of prayer and the beauty of faith in God.” He enjoyed “the privilege of Catholic schools” throughout his undergraduate years, noting they were “exceedingly supportive communities that simply presumed ‘you’ have a future in God’s plan.”  

Before entering the seminary, Michael studied psychology, earning a B.A. and an M.A. from St. Mary’s University and Trinity, respectively. Knowing his ultimate calling, he chose this field because he felt the social sciences would assist him in working with and for the people of God. He was formed through Roman Catholic seminaries in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, and he completed his theological degrees and formation at the University of Notre Dame, where he received master’s degrees in theology and divinity in 1975. On March 19, 1976, Michael was ordained by the late Archbishop Francis Furey and took on assignments as parochial vicar at Catholic churches in Gonzales, Texas, and later in San Antonio.

He next went to Assumption Seminary on Woodlawn, the first location of Trinity in San Antonio, as director of Spiritual and Liturgical Formation. During this tenure, he completed a Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching and worship at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin. He originally thought he was destined for teaching, but adds, “God and the Archbishop had other plans.” A new 12-year assignment took him to Kerr County, Texas, and its Notre Dame Catholic Church and School. Even with these new responsibilities, he remained actively involved in the Ministry of Spiritual Direction, which entails “one-on-one conversations with folks about their relationship with God.”

Feeling called to lead this ministry full time, Michael sought and received permission from then Archbishop Patricio Flores to do so. With help from Beverly Pevehouse and the Pevehouse family of Midland, Kerrville, and Brownwood, he founded St. Peter upon the Water: A Center of Spiritual Development and Formation, which offers a three-year program to form spiritual directors to work in parishes. Although deeply rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition, many non-Catholic churches are at work in the ministry as well.

Although Michael is still actively involved in St. Peter upon the Water retreat center, he is currently serving many sacramental and administrative functions in the Archdiocese with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller. He is also leading the work of Ongoing Formation of the Clergy in the Archdiocese and finds the number of opportunities to preach to a much larger group of believers “a great gift of the new ministry.”

Unshakable in his belief, Michael says he has never experienced a crisis of faith. Having grown up surrounded by believers “made it easier to see God’s presence in all things,” he explains. “In every real crisis in my life, beginning with my seeking to live with my father’s addiction to alcohol and going on to many other situations, God and God’s presence in my life has been the comforting grace.”

Thinking about what he confronts today, Michael says, “The world has changed in so many good ways since I was ordained more than 41 years ago. But not all changes have blessed us. Some have left us much more violent and unhappy. At the head of that list is a growing materialism that has deadened our relationship with God. Many would like to believe that God is dead or at least has no relevance to our lives. I beg to differ. God’s love for us is the remedy and hope of humanity.”