My name is Fr. Kevin Penkalski, and I have been ordained for 4 years. Originally, I was born in New Jersey, but my family decided to head west when I was 6. I grew up in the North Valley (New River), and it was there that my family began to instill the Faith in me. As time passed, I began to discern that, though a beautiful good, Marriage was not what the Lord was calling me to, but a more expansive fatherhood. Through a return to Confession and encountering the Eucharistic Lord in my teens, I eagerly began my haphazard attempt at following Him. In 2011, I entered seminary formation and in 2020 I was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Phoenix. Via the priesthood, I began to fall in love with introducing those under my care to the Merciful Heart that found me in my brokenness. The fire to teach the Faith only grew stronger when in 2023 I was assigned to Queen of Peace Catholic Church, where I was the chaplain to our parochial school. Now here, under the patronage of one of my heroes, I hope to instill the Lord's loving mercy and burning charity to all of our students, staff, and families. #jp2lions