(Photo by Kris Todd) Seated in his living room beside a picture given to him recently by a Venezuelan family, Rev. Harry McAlpine plans to respond to God's call and become an advocate for the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging program.

Daily Reporter Staff

It took Rev. Harry McAlpine a few years to respond to God's call.

"I had other plans," the retired priest said with a smile this week while seated in his Spencer living room.

Before entering the seminary 25 years ago, the Sheldon native spent nearly 25 years working for the former Northwestern National Bank, currently known as Wells Fargo. McAlpine, who served in various capacities on the Council for International Banking, claims the "high point" of his financial career occurred when he was asked to move from Minneapolis to New York City to open and manage an international banking operation on Wall Street.

"I can truly say that I liked my job and I was doing well," the former bank vice president and manager said. "Yet, I was increasingly becoming discontented, feeling there was more to life than what I was experiencing."

"I knew when I accepted this New York assignment that this would conclude my banking career," McAlpine added. "I knew that I would go to New York, open the bank and get it running smoothly -- and then I would begin earnestly to search for that something greater which would then fulfill me and bring more meaning into my life. Not fully understanding what was going on in my life, I was quite sure that this fulfillment and meaning would be discovered in some way in serving God."

By 1981, the bank he'd opened was operating smoothly and McAlpine believed he'd reached the "ultimate peak" in his career.

A long period of recovery from a burst appendix that year allowed him time to reflect and discern. He recalled first feeling God nudging him during high school. After graduating, McAlpine said nuns in the neighboring town of Ashton tried talking him into entering the seminary.

"Remember, I had other plans," he said. "But I eventually came to the realization that all growth and progress in life are rooted in the pain of discontentment. I was grateful for yesterday and I could be glad for where I was today, but above all, I was looking with expectation to tomorrow. I knew that I had not reached the finish line."

Opting to take a cautious route to the thought of changing vocations, McAlpine acquired the services of a professional career consultant. Tests taken showed he scored highest in the religious vocation category.

Three priests also lent the searching man their time and assistance.

"After several months went by, all three of them convinced me not to delay my decision," he recalled. "...I was very private about this because I wasn't sure. I was searching. When I did make the decision, the reaction from others was really varied. Some really thought that I had lost it because I had a wonderful career in international banking."

Henrietta McAlpine, however, matter-of-factly told her son, "That doesn't surprise me. I always thought you'd do something like that," when he called to inform her that he'd quit his job and was entering the seminary.

After resigning his position at the bank -- and turning down the "opportunity of a lifetime" to open an international bank for Citibank in Manhattan's Chinatown -- McAlpine, then 48, entered Holy Apostles Seminary, a second-career vocation seminary in Cromwell, Conn. With the transfer, he moved from a Park Avenue residence in Manhattan to a "cell-like" dormitory room.

"Why I hadn't responded to his call sooner is a very difficult question to answer," McAlpine said in retrospect. "I suppose one of the biggest reasons for not responding sooner was a fear of being inadequate for the task. But for some reason, I no longer felt that fear and knew I needed to take action."

At the prompting of Bishop Lawrence Soens, McAlpine chose to return home the following year and transfer to the St. Paul Seminary. He graduated from the five-year program in four years and was ordained on May 30, 1987, as a priest for the Diocese of Sioux City.

"In this diocese, most of the priests are homegrown boys," he explained.

His first assignment, as an associate pastor, sent McAlpine to Algona for two years. Next, he was promoted to pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Dedham, where he served for three years. A double assignment in Sutherland and Primghar, with Sacred Heart and St. Anthony's, followed. After a four-year stint with the Sacred Heart Church and St. Edmond High School in Fort Dodge, McAlpine took a one-year leave before being dually-assigned to Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Fonda and St. Columbkille Catholic Church in Varina. Following assignments at St. John's Catholic Church in Onawa and St. Bernard's in Blencoe, the priest moved to Spencer and officially "retired" in July 2005.

McAlpine's background in banking helped several of the churches he served: Every church had money in the bank when he left.

"It was just because I allowed them to take ownership and become involved. That's the way it works," he said.

When asked about the declining number of individuals coming into the religious order, McAlpine acknowledged it has created a "challenge," as well as a "heavy, heavy workload" for those in the ministry field.

"We had five priests in our diocese retire this year, but we have two ordinations this year," he said. "We are going to be having more priests retiring each year now, and we're not going to have any ordinations for a few years. But I don't think this is only true in the Catholic church; I think it's the same in other religious vocations."

Although not employed by Sacred Heart, McAlpine does assist at the local church on a daily basis. Since his retirement three years ago, he's also remained active and spent a great deal of time covering parishes within the diocese.

As he looks to the future, McAlpine mentioned he's been sponsoring Enyerberth Daniel Breecino, an 11-year-old from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, for the past six years via the Catholic Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) program. While traveling with 23 other CFCA sponsors last month to visit children and families they assist, McAlpine said he was so impressed with what his small contributions to the program have done for Breecino and his family, along with other residents in their community, that he agreed to sponsor two more children while visiting Venezuela.

The priest has also agreed to serve as a CFCA advocate.

The retiree also finds himself gearing up to attend an Aug. 13 - 17 gathering on exorcism and deliverance at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Ill. McAlpine plans to attend the international conference with Rev. James Bruch, who formerly served in Milford, and Rev. Patrick O'Kane.

"The major focus of this conference," he explained, "is to develop the ministry of inner healing so that the exorcism and deliverance flow out of the holiness and ministry of the shepherd, to and for his priests and the faithful."

"I guess I'm still searching for that something more," the 73-year-old said with a smile. "I don't think I've stopped trying in small ways to make a difference."