Former local high school student returns as lead pastor for OLL
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – There is a message of hope that the new Our Lady of Lourdes head pastor has brought to Slidell, and he is bringing it to the community where he grew up more than 30 years ago.
Father Chris Zavackis was named the new spiritual leader for the Our Lady of Lourdes (OLL) church community when Archbishop Phillip Aymond selected him to take over at one of Slidell’s Catholic churches.
Zavackis officially began on July 1 and is thrilled to be leading the church in the city where he grew up, where he graduated from Slidell High in 1988. Following an interesting path to finally accept the calling to become a priest, Zavackis’ life journey has also given him insight that offers hope to any individual, or even our country as a whole.
“God is so merciful to us all, and certainly showed that mercy to me throughout my zigs and zags in life,” he said with a smile. “But in the end, God is always waiting for us. I think we need to realize that for our personal life, and even looking at the country and all the division right now—God is waiting for us to come back to Him.”
Zavackis said he considered the priesthood near the end of his high school years but decided to join the Army National Guard. Finally, as high school was coming to an end, he decided to attend St. Joseph’s Seminary in Covington, but after five years, was unable to make a total commitment and returned to the secular world.
For 19 years he worked normal jobs and dated, thinking that a married life and a family was in the cards for him. But in 2011 he returned to the seminary with a complete peace about making the right decision, and now finds himself as the head pastor for a church in his hometown.
“It’s really exciting to be coming back to Slidell,” he said. “I have to admit, however, that it is sad to leave the Gretna church family where I had been. But it’s still very exciting to have this opportunity back in Slidell.”
Zavackis, 53, was a typical student at Slidell High in the 80s, participating in the band and other academic clubs. Although he grew up in a Catholic family, he admits “never having aspirations to be a priest.”
But a friend in high school mentioned the idea to him, “planting a seed that never went completely away, even after I left seminary the first time.”
He said that a lot of prayer near the end of high school, particularly at the Adoration Chapel at St. Margaret Mary, led him to the decision for seminary. But after five years he admits that the vow of celibacy all priests must take was the deciding factor that kept him from committing to the priesthood.
“I still thought I would be married and have a family, so I returned to the world and began working, dating and making a lot of mistakes,” he said with a laugh. “I had several serious relationships, but I never felt I had found the right person. God was always nudging me to think about the priesthood and that never went away.”
Telling his parents that he would become a priest as the only child in the family never met with any resistance, even 19 years after the initial time in seminary.
“My parents are the most beautiful model of supportive parents,” he said. “They watched me go through girlfriends, different jobs and all the ups and downs. But when I said I was going back to seminary they were completely supportive of my decision.”
Four years at Notre Dame Seminary earned him a master’s degree in Divinity, then he was ordained in 2015 and given his first assignment in Mandeville, where he stayed four years before becoming the head pastor in 2019 for St. Cletus Catholic Church in Gretna.
“I so enjoyed my time there. You become part of their church family and it was wonderful,” he said.
As for his new OLL family, Zavackis said he sees a character in the people there that is incredible.
“Remember that all of the people here went through Hurricane Katrina and that’s why I see such resiliency and such an attitude of survival,” he said. “There was six feet of water where we are sitting today, so it’s easy to have a lot of respect for the people here.”
Zavackis said that he particularly loves getting to know the new families at Our Lady of Lourdes.
“To become close with people you have to talk to them, and listen,” he said. “And I’ve always loved talking with the people and being with everyone. That is how you get to know people and I am already enjoying it greatly.”
However, Zavackis acknowledges for himself, as well as every other church leader in Slidell and across the country, there is a challenge to bring the younger generations and others back to church.
“No doubt, church attendance in all churches has declined in recent years,” he said. “But that might be where a message I try to preach is important. I learned personally about the great mercy and grace of God as I went through this unusual journey to finally settle as a priest.
“And God showed me that He is always there waiting. We may turn from God, but He never turns away from us,” he said. “When we come back to God, He is always ready for us.”
Zavackis likened that lesson to the divided United States most Americans are watching these days, with the past few years of national leaders and media preaching a message of racism, and division among political parties.
“I believe you can see that our country has lost touch with God,” he said. “Even though so many different churches of different denominations are doing a lot of great things, people have left the churches.
“But if I talked to a non-believer and asked if they are looking for joy or happiness, I mean lasting happiness and peace, then I don’t think they will find it without God,” Zavackis said. “God is the only place for true, lasting peace and I believe people will turn back to God when they are ready. And when they do, God will be waiting for them.”
Zavackis also displayed a great attitude of humility and thankfulness to God, especially as he talked about 19 years out of the ministry when he knows “God was waiting for me.”
“I’m not special in any way. The priesthood is a gift that I did nothing to earn,” he said. “But that’s how everything is in our lives. Even the energy to get up each day and do whatever it is we do; God gives it to us. It’s a gift and the more we appreciate that, the more we are drawn closer to Him.”
Zavackis said he also believes his years in the dating world gave him special insight for relationship counseling, since “I made mistakes, but through it all God taught me what love really is.”
While the new Our Lady of Lourdes priest is spending as much time as possible getting to know each and every member of the church, he does have a few of his own personal hobbies.
“I love to run,” he said. “Especially since it’s such a great time to pray.
“But I also have a serious interest in flying drones,” he added. “It’s quite a lot of fun and very interesting, and now I’m using my drones to take aerial photos of the church grounds.”