Fr. Glenn Theoret is a retired priest of the Diocese of Marquette.  His 25 years of full-time parish ministry earned him a reputation as a powerful preacher, filled with and guided by the Holy Spirit.  He now continues his passion of proclaiming the Word of God through his new role as Executive Director of the Gratitude Foundation.

    Fr. Glenn was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1999, at the age of 47.  Prior to entering The University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, Fr. Glenn spent 19 years working as a Certified Public Accountant.  After graduating college, he joined a small accounting practice in his hometown of Escanaba, Michigan and became a partner in just 4 years.  In his time as a CPA, he helped to build the company into a large regional firm with 12 offices in two states.  He also served for a year as a regional Controller for a large national conglomerate.  

   At the age of 33 Glenn heard the story of St. Maximillian Kolbe for the first time during a parish Lenten mission.  Fr. Kolbe was the man who would step forward and take another man’s place on death row at Auschwitz.  The homilist pointed to the large crucifix and said, “Did not Jesus do that for you?  Did he not take your place and die for you, for your sins?”  Fr. Glenn says that he fell to his knees at that moment and thanked God.  He said, “Filled with gratitude I thanked Jesus for the first time in my life.”  At that moment real faith began to overwhelm him and his life would be forever changed.  A moment of real gratitude would change his heart forever.

   Once again kneeling under the crucifix in a Blessed Sacrament Chapel a few months later Fr. Glenn felt the overwhelming embrace of God’s love.  At that moment he experienced a clear and concise call to the priesthood.  In his words, “It was more of a revelation of my true self than a calling.  The words spoken to my heart in the voice of my late grandfather were, ‘you are a priest.’”  As confusing as that was, he soon realized that that was in fact his identity, an identity that he had been searching for his entire life.  The discovery of God as loving father and self as priest continues to lead and guide his life.

    Fr Glenn firmly believes that his new role with the Gratitude Foundation is God’s plan and not his.   In his words, “There is a burning in my heart that I cannot contain to share God’s Word.  I feel that if I don’t, I will burst!  Out of the foundational gratitude that governs my life, I must proclaim God’s love and infinite mercy to the world, if I don’t the stones will cry out!”