Priests with Passion

Fr. Ted Sill–Pastor of St. Patrick Church, London, Ohio, Priest in the Columbus Diocese for nearly 19 Years, Hunter and Outdoor Enthusiast

Hunting has been a life-long passion for Fr. Ted Sill who began hunting as a boy with his dad and his brothers in Circleville, Ohio.

“Dad trained black labs. My brothers and I enjoyed hunting squirrels, rabbits, and birds with him. We especially liked the one-on-one trips with Dad – those were special – where we’d get out of school to go out of town on controlled waterfowl hunts alone with Dad. I still hunt with my Dad who is now 80 years old.”

Fr. Ted enjoys hunting ducks and geese, deer, and all game birds such as woodcock, grouse, wild turkey and pheasant. He hunts locally and also in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

He hunted caribou and black bear in Alaska which he describes as “exhilarating.”  His future dream hunts include moose hunting with a bow in the Yukon and magnificent red stag in Australia.

 “I really like the pursuit of big game with a bow.  It is much more of a challenge mentally and physically.”

He hunts with his priest friends, Msgr. Frank Meagher and Fr. Joe Yokum. When hunting is in season, they plan their hunts around their off day from the parish.  Fr. Ted also enjoys preparing and eating the game.

“I eat everything I bring home. I especially like grouse, venison and I also enjoy preparing game gourmet style for other people. Every year we auction a game dinner at our parish fundraiser. It is called, ‘A Wild Night with Fr. Ted.’ ”

During the summer, Fr. Ted also enjoys golfing and fishing – both fly-fishing and casting with artificial and live bait. He has gone deep-sea fishing off the coast of Florida for tarpon and mahi-mahi.

“Sometimes I get lucky and I get to hunt, fish and golf all in one trip.”

He maintained his pattern of relaxing outdoors while he was in seminary.  “I was able to get excused from classes to go deer hunting with Bishop Griffin and several priests. How could the Rector say no to that?!”

How does hunting fit in with his vocation as a priest?

“I enjoy the quiet outdoor time in solitude, especially when I am bow hunting. It is good prayer time. I have composed many homilies in the tree stand.  I am inside hospitals, offices, school and homes a lot as a priest, so it is nice to just get outside and recharge my batteries.”

For Fr. Ted, outdoor activities such as golf and hunting take his mind off his work for awhile and give him a new perspective to better serve his parishioners. 

“It’s all about pacing yourself. We go, go, go as priests and if we don’t take a break we will eventually wear out. When I am there [at the parish], I am available to my parish 24 hours, but I really enjoy my day off and my parishioners are very respectful of that time.”

Fr. Ted says he is in the priesthood for the “long-haul.”

“I want to stay happy and mentally and physically healthy. Taking this time outdoors with my friends helps me to do that.”

His advice for men considering the priesthood?

“Cultivate other interests with other priests who have the same hobbies.  Plan ahead and stick to it, or you won’t be able to do it. Plan for your happiness. Service is so important, but we also have to cultivate our humanity. Relaxing helps us to be better priests.”

He also recommends that priests stay connected to their parishioners through common hobbies.

“The broader our experience in life, the more our knowledge and the more we can connect with people. We can relate better and we can preach better because we can make it come alive for them.”