CCHS Chaplain Father Mike Ortiz was originally born in Salina, Kansas on February 10, 1929 at the beginning of the Great Depression.  He and his family then moved to Indiana Harbor, a city in northwestern Indiana surrounded by steel mills, oil refineries, and railroads.  He was the first child of fourteen in his family.

As his family grew in size, his father took on extra jobs, one as a paperboy. In seventh grade, Fr. Mike got a job as a “stock boy” in one of the city’s clothing stores.  He handed the money over to his mother.

After graduating from grade school, he entered the seminary in Indiana. When playing football over the summer, a priest came over and talked with Fr. Mike’s coach.  The coach called Fr. Mike over and the priest asked him if he ever considered joining the priesthood, saying that his eighth grade teacher called him and thinks that he has a calling for the holy life.

He was, however, discouraged by his aunts and uncles who told him that he was too “worldly,” too interested in girls.  He admits, “I was a flirt.”  He decided to prove them wrong and he became a priest in the order of the Sacred Heart.

He went to seminary school in Donaldson, Indiana, and, though the school wasn’t pretty, he was inspired by the boys around him who seemed to have fun despite their religious lifestyle.  He had 64 classmates and gradually met them all.

After spending four years there, he was sent as a novice to the Novitiate in southern Illinois, where he prepared spiritually and mentally for what lay ahead.

He was assigned to a cell containing a small nightstand for a washbasin, a hard cot, and a white sheet that hung across the cell’s entrance.  “All smoking material was to be turned in. Any money in our possession was also to be turned in, as were radios, magazines, and mundane reading material- in short, everything was to be turned in!”

After the students completed their schooling there, they took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to become Priests of the Sacred Heart.  Then Fr. Mike went to Hales Corners, Wisconsin, to the Sacred Heart Monastery that would be his home for eight years.

Then, tragedy struck.  Six months before he was going to be ordained, he found out that his dad was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with an aneurysm.  Hours later, one of his sisters called to say that their father had passed away.

“I became so angry that I blurted out some emotionally explosive words and told the superior that I was leaving for the funeral with or without his permission.  I knew enough about the vow of obedience I had taken to know that I was putting my future on the line, but at the moment it did not matter to me,” said Fr. Mike.

At the funeral, he had to choose between staying with his mother or going back to becoming a priest.  His mother insisted that he go back to the seminary, telling him that two of his brothers would take care of her.

Finally, he became a priest on May 26^th, 1956.  “My dad had so looked forward to seeing me ordained,” said Fr. Mike.

Since he had been ordained at the end of his third year instead of fourth, he had to return back to the seminary.  The time spent at his home parish made him realize that he didn’t know a lot of Spanish, and wanted to change that.  After searching, he found a seminary in Guadalajara, Mexico willing to accept and allow him to complete his last years of study learn Spanish at the same time.

After his final year of study was complete, he was assigned to his home parish in Indiana Harbor.  Not only did he have to take a parish census and minister to parishioners but he also had to teach at a local catholic high school.  He said, “Working with the teenagers of the parish was my specialty.  I organized boys and girl youth groups, sports, and socials.”

His second assignment was to take place in Holly Springs, Mississippi. “My desire to join the military, perhaps as a chaplain, increased as I faced this new assignment.”  He taught and was the athletic director for a catholic grade and high school for black children.

After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Fr. Mike decided to enter the military.  He said, “Ever since I was little I had a liking for the military.  While growing older, there was a priest I had wanted to be like [Father Paul].  Both careers are serve people and, had it not been for money, I would have gone to the military academy.”

Already in his thirties, he had disappointing experiences with not being able to get into the Navy and Air Force due to his laminectomy.  He was determined to get the Army to allow him to join their chaplaincy.  When a young doctor saw how determined he was, he called the Chief of Surgeons in Washington, D.C. and obtained a medical waiver for Fr. Mike.

With A Passion

More about Father Mike’s life is written in a book that he wrote himself, called With a Passion.  He called the book With a Passion because he believes,  “If you want something then you’re going to have to do it with a passion.”

He got inspiration to write the book when he caught some of the “Larry King Live” television program while channel surfing.  The host was interviewing celebrities such as professional football running back Herschel Walker, Duke’s most successful basketball coach Mike Kryzewski, and former child star and world-famous film director, Ron Howard.

When the host asked what the key was to their success, Fr. Mike noticed that each o them had someone in their lives who they admired.

The origin of this book came from a young soldier working as an honor guard at Arlington National Cemetery. “It was this young man who convinced me that other people would be interested in reading about my experiences as a priest and Army Chaplain,” said Fr. Mike.  “They would want to know, he said, what made me do what I did and choose what I chose in my life.”

Today

He has worked at Cathedral Catholic High School as a full time priest and chaplain for four years, but he is going to retire from the Diocese at the end of this year.

Following retirement, he said he will “stay in beautiful San Diego or go back to Guadalajara.”

He said the thing he’s going to miss most working with young people.  “I worked with young people all my life.  Even when I was an Army Chaplain, I worked with young men and women.”

One of his favorite experiences is witnessing the change in attitude that students have following retreat.

There are some things he doesn’t like about the society of today’s youth.  He said, “The modernization makes it difficult to do what’s right movies, magazines, the temptations all over makes difficult for young people to stay away.”

Fr. Mike said that fewer young people today choose to enter into lives of ministry because of “materialism.” He said, “You can get anything.  Even the poorest of people have an iPod or iPhone.  Advertisements of men and women naked are glamorized and that makes young people want to be like that.”

Despite these things, he enjoys being surrounded by young adults.  “My mission was to make young people feel good and happy being here,” he said. “I think I succeeded.”