Introduction from Father Ryan Pineda

Getting to Know Fr. Ryan, your new Parochial Vicar

Writing about myself is a little challenging.  However, I realized that I have been here at St. Peter’s for more than a month already and I still have not written something in the bulletin or in our parish website.  When I was a kid, I remembered singing “Getting to Know You” while going around the room and introducing ourselves to our new classmates on our first day of school.  With the restrictions placed because of the pandemic, other than a quick hello, I cannot “get to know you” or you cannot get to know me since we are not encouraged to socialize after Mass.  Hence, I will just tell you a little about myself in this short piece so at least you can get to know me a little more. 

You can call me Fr. Ryan or Father Pineda.   I was born in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines and moved to Guam when I was 18.  Eventually, my family relocated to Los Angeles and I lived there for eight years.  While living in Southern California, I taught in a Catholic high school, I volunteered as a catechist at my parish, I worked in different part-time jobs including working for H&R Block as a tax preparer and at the Aquarium of the Pacific as a guest sales representative, and I finished my graduate degree in Education.  In December 2007, I went to Washington, DC for a visit to see the Smithsonian museums.  Little did I know that this trip will lead me to the Franciscan Monastery and the Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception.  While praying at these two churches, I felt that God is telling me that there is something in Washington, DC that is worth exploring.  I also felt a lot of hope.

I moved to the DC area in 2008 even though I did not know anybody here.  Except for cousins in Pennsylvania and in North Carolina, most of my relatives live in the West Coast.  However, God provided for me because prior to my move, I found a teaching job.  Moreover, one of the teachers rented her basement apartment to me.  I taught at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg for two years while pursuing my master’s degree in Library Science at The Catholic University of America.

In 2010, after finishing my degree at CUA, I applied and was accepted to study for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Washington.  I went to Theological College, the seminary of Catholic University to study Pre-Theology and Theology.  I was ordained in 2016 and was assigned to be the parochial vicar of Holy Redeemer in Kensington.  After three years in Kensington, I was assigned to St. Peter’s in Olney and in July of this year, I was transferred to St. Peter’s in Waldorf.

I am thankful for being assigned in this parish.  Even though there are so many things that we cannot do because of the pandemic, there are still little things that I can do such as visiting the homebound, hearing confessions, leading a Bible study, praying for the parish and celebrating Mass and other sacraments.  

Please email me at [email protected] should you need to contact me. Thank you and May God bless each one of you.