Father Anthony R. “Tony” Rinaldo has been appointed pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Loose Creek and St. Louis of France Catholic Church in Bonnots Mill.

He succeeds Father Callistus C. Okoroji, who has been appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Eldon and Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Mary’s Home.

Fr. Okoroji served in Loose Creek and Bonnots Mill for two and a half years.

Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City made the appointments, which took effect Jan. 28.

Fr. Rinaldo grew up in New Jersey and later moved to Mexico, Mo.

He priestly discernment and received his seminary formation at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisc.

He served as a transitional deacon at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Camdenton prior to his priestly ordination in 2013.

Since then, he has served as associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Jefferson City; pastor of Annunciation Church in California and assistant pastor of St. Andrew Church in Tipton; and since 2016 as pastor of both the Tipton and California parishes.

While he was in the seminary, Fr. Rinaldo heard from many priests that, “The people will teach you if you let them.”

“If I’m being called to follow Christ in His Priesthood, I have to listen to the Holy Spirit speak in whatever way He chooses,” he said. “If He’s using people to point out things I need to work on or think about, then I have to listen to that,” said Fr. Rinaldo.

Among the lessons he’s learned from the people are: “Keep your homilies short and sweet and to the point. Don’t be hard on people. Be kind and considerate. Think before you say things. Don’t take your bad days out on them ... which I think is good advice for all of us,” he said.

A seminary instructor who grew up in the same part of New Jersey as Fr. Rinaldo summed him up as “blue collar.”

“That’s me to a ‘T,’” Fr. Rinaldo stated. “It’s my heritage. It’s who I am.”

And he believes that gives him a healthy work ethic and a knack for relating to people across a wide spectrum of backgrounds and personalities.

“Nobody’s life is simple,” he said. “The more I talk to people, the more I see that.”

Fr. Rinaldo’s pulpit messages frequently revolve around God’s love.

“We don’t really understand the love of God as much as we ought to,” he said. “We know we’re called to holiness and the sacraments, and that’s all about experiencing the love of God. We tend to look for things beyond that, and it’s right in front of us.”