The Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines has announced the Rev. Luis Alonso Mejia will assume priestly duties in July at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Perry.
Mejia will replace the outgoing priest, the Rev. Chris Reising, who will transfer to an Osceola parish in order to replace the retiring Rev. Dave Polich, who also served at St. Pat’s in Perry until 2013.
Mejia came to Iowa in 2010 and was appointed parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Parish in West Des Moines in 2015. He began his seminary studies in his home country of El Salvador with a four-year course in philosophy at Blessed John XXIII Seminary followed by theology studies at a seminary in Minnesota.
“Minnesota was good training for the winters,” Mejia said with a laugh Wednesday. “Iowa winters are mild in comparison.”
Mejia can be reached at 515-225-6414 or luis.mejia@sacredheartwdm.org.
