On August 1, 2023 Father James Holbrook became pastor for the newly formed parish group of St. Gertrude, St. Ann and Holy Family.

Fr. Holbrook was ordained on May 29, 2010 and has served at St. Paul in Fenton, St. Bridget of Kildare in Pacific, St. Joseph in Manchester, St. Joseph in Bonne Terre, and now here at St. Gertrude.

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A late vocation, Father Holbrook applied to Kenrick-Glennon Seminary at 36 years old.  He is part of a growing number of second career priests who now treasure the vocation they avoided when younger.

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Father Holbrook comes from a family of eight children, who are still close and most of whom live in the St. Louis area.  He grew up in the Spanish Lake part of North County and went to Hazelwood East High School.  In 1992 he received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and worked in the St. Louis area for about 12 years until entering the seminary.