Fr. Larry Swink is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington and was ordained in May 2006. On July 7, 2021, he became the new pastor at St. Peter Claver and St. Cecilia’s Churches in St. Mary’s City, MD.
FAMILY LIFE: Father Larry was born on the Midway Islands, an unincorporated territory of the United States in the central Pacific Ocean, about 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu. He is the oldest of 10 children. Father Larry points to his parents as playing a very big role in planting the seeds for his vocation. Both of his parents are supernumeraries in the Work [Opus Dei]. Seeing the sacrifices needed in marriage made him more open to the call to the priesthood.
EDUCATION/WORK: Father Larry attended The Heights High School in Rockville, Maryland, where he played baseball as a pitcher for four years. Upon graduating, he was accepted at the University of Dallas, where he continued to play baseball for two years. Father Swink graduated from the University of Dallas with a degree in Political Philosophy. He worked for Morgan Stanley as a Financial Advisor for 2 and a half years.
FORMATION: In 2001, Father Larry joined the Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, New Jersey. On May 27, 2006, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington.
ASSIGNMENTS: Father Larry’s first parish was St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church in Laurel, Maryland followed by St. Pius X in Bowie, MD. He also served as pastor at Jesus the Divine Word Catholic Church in Huntingtown, MD. Prior to his current assignment, Father Larry was the pastor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in LaPlata, Maryland.
SPEAKER: Father Larry is a dynamic speaker. He has been leading retreats for men’s and women’s groups for over 10 years. He has led very powerful and spiritually healing pilgrimages for couples and college students to Mexico City and holy sites in Europe. At the 2010 Right to Life March, he gave the homily to over 10,000 Catholics.
HIS JOY: Father Larry’s three favorite things about being a priest are offering Mass, confessions, and preaching. What feeds his love for the Mass is adoration. Every day, he spends an hour of mental prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. He also offers confessions before and after every Mass noting that it is a wonderful vehicle for bringing people to conversion. Fr. Swink loves preaching the Word of God and has been doing a lot of retreats the last several years. Specifically, he loves: helping people understand the faith at a deeper level, assisting them to connect their life with the Lord, and challenging / encouraging them to holiness. While it takes a lot of work, it’s always been a source of great joy.
FOR FUN: In his spare time, Father enjoys the outdoors: He is a cyclist, plays basketball, and enjoys hiking and snowboarding… as well as anything that includes a ball or a stick!