Yes Catholic

Father Dan Reehil's Journey from Wall Street to the Priesthood

• David Patterson • Season 2 • Episode 17

Share episode

Imagine trading the clamor of Wall Street for the serene whispers of a church; this is the life of Father Dan Reehil, who joins us to unravel the tapestry of his extraordinary call to priesthood. 

Through the lens of Father Dan's story, we glimpse the rigorous discipline of exorcism and deliverance ministry training in Rome and the transformative role these practices have played in his pastoral mission. His commitment to spiritual exercises offers a deeper understanding of how personal faith practices can sculpt one's service to the church. Moreover, the conversation invites us to reflect on the quiet grace of saints like St. Joseph, emphasizing the essence of humility and how it weaves through the fabric of our spiritual lives.

Send us a text

Support the show

Speaker 1:

Welcome to yes Catholic, the place where real people share their real stories and realize that it is all God's grace on the move. I'm your host, david Patterson, and every week we hear a new guest share their story of how they came to give their guests to Jesus and his church. So let's get started. Tonight we have Father Dan Rehill. Welcome, father. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story.

Speaker 2:

Good to be with you. I'm happy to join you.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. And those who don't know you, why don't you share a little bit about yourself before we dive into the rapid fire to get to know you more?

Speaker 2:

Okay, so I'm the oldest of four kids. I was born in 1965, at the tail end of Vatican II. I had my own ideas about the church as it was forming its new way and in the northeast where I lived, it was. I could. Even as a kid I sensed there was something off about the way, not necessarily the liturgy, but I had weird encounters with several priests and it put me off in a way where I made a decision I wanted to be not part of the church and I pursued wealth and status and, for whatever reason, god kind of rewarded that or let it happen, and I became a Wall Street banker, did that for many years, was very successful and, although not happy, I had all the trappings of success but none of the joy.

Speaker 2:

And it was kind of just about in 1998 when I was renting a villa in Amalfi and a friend called me and said I'm going to this place in Bosnia where the war just ended, can you come over? It's just across the Adriatic. And I looked at the map and said, oh, it's so easy and this must just be like Italy it'll have good wine and good food, it'll be great. And I wound up in Medjugorje and of course, they're like a hundred years behind us and there was no good wine and there was no good food and there was no hotel. We were sleeping in these people's homes and I said, oh my gosh, I don't belong here.

Speaker 2:

Everybody here is praying and they're doing the rosary and I wanted to get out, but I stayed because I was tired and the next morning when I woke up, had a profound experience of God's love and all of my anxiety and hatred and fear and everything that was manifesting in me was washed away, you know, without confession. Imagine that this was a total gift of God and I felt great. I felt so good. I said if it feels like this to be here, I'm staying the whole week and I knew I had to get myself right with God if I was going to participate in liturgy and the Mass. So I marched over to the church looking for a priest that was going to be very sympathetic to a poor sinner, and there was this. I call him the Hollywood priest. He's standing outside, he has like 10 women around him, he's telling jokes, smoking his cigarette, and I go. That's the guy.

Speaker 2:

So I walked up to him and I said can I trouble you to hear my confession? And he says, of course. And we sit down and I'll never forget he's still smoking his cigarette. And I was like, are you going to put the cigarette out? I feel like it should be out if we're having the sacrament. It was a weird thing because here I am, away from the church for all those years. Of course, yes, he puts it out. Here's my very long and salty confession and he absorbs me. And then he says I think you have a vocation to be a priest. And I look at him and I'm like I'm going to be a priest.

Speaker 1:

I need you to pause for just a second. I've never had this happen before my laptop is plugged in and it's saying it's going to shut down. I've never had this happen before. Just two seconds. Never has that happened before, like it was. It happens to me all the time. So your vocation was about to be announced. I feel like we need to say the same Michael prayer before we continue. This is crazy. Let's do that.

Speaker 2:

Say Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him. We humbly pray and do thou, prince of the heavenly hosts.

Speaker 1:

By the power of God cast in the health sails, Satan, all the evil spirit, you prowl about the world in the rune of souls. Amen, as you were saying.

Speaker 2:

Just had an image of blockage happening as we were praying that. But this does happen to me all the time. This is my life, so welcome to it. Yes, understood, but it's you know. It gives you a real taste of this is a true battle. It's not just you know. Something we read about 2000 years ago and the last two days we're reading about Jesus casting out demons at the mass. This is going on every day. It's real, Yep.

Speaker 2:

So anyway, I'm there, I am, and he hears and he says I think you're going to be a priest, and I'm not thinking. Well, I don't think you understand English. He was a Franciscan friar from Croatia and I was like, eh well, thank you, but I have to go and I plugged in the whole week. If anybody's been on pilgrimage, they know the pilgrimage is easy because that you're having the mountaintop experience, it's all blessed and God's filling you with his love. When you get home is when the hard work starts, and for me I'm a very all or nothing guy I'm either in or out. It's no middle ground. So I went all in and I cut the relationships off that were unhealthy. I joined the Wall Street Young Catholics Association to make new friendships with. You know people that would be more in that vein, Sort of going to mass every day, walking to work so I could pray the rosary and within about six weeks I was what you would call a fully practicing Catholic.

Speaker 2:

Even more so I'm going to mass every day, Wow. And confession once a month. And eventually one of the priests of that church the church, by the way, is Our Lady of Victory, which is no coincidence All right, this church, back in the day, had three masses before 9 am. This is Monday through Friday Three masses before 9 am, Three masses during lunch and three masses after 5 o'clock. They had nine daily masses during the week. Do you imagine that's a lot? And confession all day. And it was just so. When I came back and I entered into this parish, I'm like, you know, I was like, wow, you know, I thought that was the normal thing, Like everybody does this. So as I eventually branched out of there, I'm like, oh, these churches only have mass once a day. You know, I was kind of surprised by that.

Speaker 1:

But anyway the prayer session's on Saturday.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah or by appointment.

Speaker 1:

Or by appointment.

Speaker 2:

No, I'm, you know, slogging through and this priest says I should have a director. And I'm like, okay, and he takes me under his wing and starts pushing me towards praying. You know praying. You should pray this prayer once a day, every day. What is that prayer, father? What do you want me to do with my life? That was the prayer. I go, I can do that. I like it. It's short, it's pithy. No, no big demonstrations of all this other stuff. And I prayed it for a week, came back and said he didn't talk to me. I guess he wants me to stay in this business. And this priest sits me down and he goes. So you left God in his church for 20 years. You came back and you've been back, you know, a few months. You prayed for one week and God didn't answer you and you think that's okay, that you give up and I go. Okay, you're making me sound stupid. Now he goes. No, you are stupid, keep praying. So I prayed it for three months, six months, nine months, 18 months later, on November 5th of 2000.

Speaker 2:

I'm at 730 AM Mass on a Sunday, back in my parish where I grew up, and right after coming in I'm sitting in the pew kneeling, praying, and I hear a voice say come, follow me. Audibly outside my head. So I turn around. When there's nobody within pew's reach, wow, and I go. Oh, okay, so you're finally speaking to me. Okay, I will follow you. I don't know where we're gonna go, but I'll follow you. And I really didn't know, because I don't know anything about how this works.

Speaker 1:

And how old were you at that point when you heard about those words?

Speaker 2:

99, hmm, probably 35, six my conversion happened at 33.

Speaker 2:

Okay, that was in 98. I remember thinking, wow, that's pretty sad, everything he accomplished by this age. I'm now starting at this age. My rebirth is happening when he already is done. Of course he's God, so I'm not holding myself to the same level, but I'm like, I feel like I'm behind the eight ball a little bit. But God works in his own way, absolutely. So we launch out and that was the beginning of my path to the priesthood, which was long and arduous. You know, I at that point I'm very much in my own head. Even though I've converted, I'm still operating over the same premises that I'm used to, right, like we all do this. So your personality doesn't change overnight. So I basically resigned from my job and I'm now going to pursue this.

Speaker 2:

So I get big spreadsheets. I put them all over my walls of my apartment. You know every religious order, charism, location and, most importantly, how many years to be ordained. My first knock on the door was the Legionnaires of Christ. I'm like, these guys are like Navy SEALs. I want to join them. 12 years. I went up and visited them. They said you're not for us. Okay, I had a full beard at the time and I noticed right away everybody's very clean, cut Right.

Speaker 2:

I was like, okay, whatever, but 12 years? No, I don't think that's for me. Dominican's 12 years, no, even Jesuits 12 years? No, diocesan priest four years? Ah, let's try that.

Speaker 2:

So I go to my diocesan chancery unannounced, I walk in. Can I talk to the vocation director and the secretary? Actually, he's right here today. Yes, hold on, I go in. It's the priest who married me. I was married for five years. He looks at me and he goes, no, no, no, you are not called to be a priest, get out. I'm like, okay, so God's making it very simple, I'm not called here, I'll keep moving on. Right. And he gave me a resiliency that I normally don't have with stuff like this. I mean, I'm normally pretty combative and I was just like, okay, whatever, that's fine.

Speaker 2:

And eventually it led me to a point where I couldn't do anything. I was six months from being ordained a deacon and all the doors shut and I was without a diocese and I was working with my rector at the seminar. He's like the bishops don't want you. You're now pushing 40. You're a New York betger, you just you don't look good on paper. I'm like, oh, wow. So I said you know what Lord, if you want me to be ordained? You know you have a bishop, call me Wow, and I was just I was being like kind of a jerk.

Speaker 1:

But you're basically asking God to flex on it.

Speaker 2:

I'm like, I'm a little bit angry about this. This has been an 11 year thing and I thought you were moving me into this and I only did this because I thought you wanted me to do it, and now I feel like the doors are closing. So, like you, do it If you want to do it.

Speaker 1:

You're the one that's sitting over my shoulder.

Speaker 2:

I literally put it back on the altar and said this is your vocation. You know that. If you want it, let it happen. And I was going back to work and about three months later the Bishop of Nashville called me and I pick up the phone one day and he says hello, this is Bishop David Choby of Nashville. Is this Daniel Rehill? And I said yes, but I don't know who this guy is. So I'm like how do you even know who I am? I was thinking it was a joke. And he goes.

Speaker 2:

Well, this priest told me about you and I said, oh, that kind of makes sense. And he flew me out to Nashville. He was the most generous Bishop I've ever met in my life. I stayed with him a week in his house, just the two of us, and he cooked me breakfast every morning. He had me drive him to his meetings. We'd go out to dinner at night and in the late evening we'd have a Scotch on the porch and he would ask me questions about everything under the sun. You know marriage, commitment, priesthood, sacrifice, everything. And after a week a week imagine a Bishop spending a week with somebody he says to me I like you, I think you'd be a good priest for me. Why don't you come to Nashville? And that was it. Wow, wow.

Speaker 2:

Got me to Nashville, wow. So you know God works in strange ways and I would have never chosen this. I had never been to Tennessee before he flew me in Incredible. And here I am and I'm very happy.

Speaker 1:

And Father. Did you experience a peace during that time, when that door did finally open for you?

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1:

When he asked you to move there, was there a peace? Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Because that's how God gives you his thumbs up is with when you get the peace. Even in a storm, he can give you peace. Yes, and that's how you know he's moving you through it, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Wow, what a story Powerful. And so what? What led you? You were in the diocese and then you've been. You've been on social media speaking of it being an exorcist. What led you into that?

Speaker 2:

To exorcism.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so my, I was a contemplative hermit for five years. Right and part of the charism of this community was exorcism and deliverance. And my superior over the men was the exorcist of Omaha, and so I was. I'm one of the bigger guys, I'm a larger American, so I was always one of the guys that would be chosen to like restrain the victim during the exorcism. So I was part and parcel of a lot of that stuff. So right away, god was already preparing me for this stuff.

Speaker 2:

And when I got to Nashville the bishop knew about our community and he said to me, and another priest from the community said well, you two, would you be willing to do the deliverance for our diocese? And we were like, of course, so I was doing it already before being an exorcist. And then, sadly, that bishop died and the new bishop came in and I only work under the authority of the bishop. That's what the exorcist does. It's by. It's by Jesus's authority, through the bishop. So all this had to stop until we had a new bishop.

Speaker 2:

So when the new bishop came, he suddenly getting inundated with a lot of requests please send Father Dan to us, please send Father Dan to us. So he calls and said why is everybody requesting you to come to their parish? And I said oh, I do the deliverance for the, for the diocese. And he goes are you the exorcist? I said, well, no, we don't have an exorcist Right. The prior bishop didn't want to burden a priest with that responsibility. And he said you know, I have a different view. I feel like you're fighting with your hands tied behind your back. I want to send you to Rome and get trained as an exorcist and then come back and do it so that's how it happened.

Speaker 1:

And how long did you have to go to Rome to train?

Speaker 2:

It wasn't very long, a few weeks, oh OK, they have an intense program that goes from like seven in the morning to like seven at night, every day, every day, like every day for like a few weeks, and and then they set you up with a mentor in your home country and you work from there.

Speaker 1:

OK, wow, and the impact has been absolutely incredible from what I've seen on social media, as well as being invited to speak at various parishes and events, like doing amazing work for them.

Speaker 2:

Well, it's his work. My posture as a priest is I'll always say yes if I'm available, right, and if I'm not, you know I can't because I already have a commitment. Yeah, and you know, that's kind of the way I roll.

Speaker 1:

It was about a week ago where I went to confession and the priest had encouraged me to pray the litany of humility on a daily basis. And I'm going to be honest, just from a personal perspective it's harsh. It's harsh, yeah, but it's wonderful to see that God really connect with that wonderful way of life. Yeah, it's been incredible. Why do you think that line is so important?

Speaker 2:

Because it shakes you into reality, Like we go through life in 2024 in America. We're kind of living in this alternate world where we think we're so important and we think a lot of things that aren't really true. But you get groomed into that by the culture. You know you're worth it, you deserve it, You've earned it, Right.

Speaker 2:

And when you pray that lindy, you're like, oh my gosh, what is this? This is an entirely different mind bender. Oh yeah, yeah. And then when you realize you know this is the reality of how saints are made, then you want to do it. You're like, okay, this sets us apart. You know, it's kind of like to be anointed means to set apart. And when you pray that litany, it's like this is how we are set apart. We're not going to be the loud, proud and arrogant one that's screaming and yelling at the meeting. We're going to be the quiet intercessor on the side, Like our lady. Imagine, at the foot of the cross, all those people spitting at her son, mocking him, ridiculing him, and she did nothing. She quietly prayed, probably for them, right? That's humility.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's so interesting you're saying that because another challenge that I was given was to actually pray the rosary, but through the eyes of St Joseph. I've never done that before. I found it so interesting, like the annunciation, the nativity right, trying to find room, but from the perspective of Joseph.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And that same day. So I went home, prayed the joyful mysteries through the eyes of St Joseph. That afternoon a nun texts me saying that I'm going to ask St Joseph to pray for you. Wow, and I was like that's interesting timing. Yeah, so I told her. And then a buddy of mine that night sent me a podcast titled Go to Joseph. It was by Bishop Barron and he quoted in the podcast Hilda Brandt where he said that the saints disappear into the mission of the church. They don't draw people to themselves, but they disappear into the mission of building the kingdom. And it's really I've been reflecting on it all week. It's powerful, it's amazing.

Speaker 2:

It's funny you say that because when we train our altar servers and you know they're coming in, they don't know anything about what's going on. They've bent a mass some of them daily mass goers but until you do it it's very daunting, and they even freeze up. They're like I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do next. So the first few weeks were like you're going to be a potted plant. All you have to do is get into the church and find your seat and then just stay there and then get out of the church. Can you do that? They're like we can do that. But what are the lessons about being a server is you should never be noticed. If they're noticing you, you're failing in your job. You should be blending into the back of the wall, and if you're making movements or scurrying or too agitated and your attention is drawing to you, you're drawing attention away from Jesus. That's how they're trained, and so they are so good about being invisible. Right, that's interesting.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I was an altar server growing up, so it's interesting to reflect on that. For sure, that's great. If someone was discerning the priesthood, you've definitely had your own share of discernment. Yep, what kind of advice would you get to someone who's still wrestling with that?

Speaker 2:

Go to our lady. Our lady is choosing the priests these days. She's hand picking them. I know this for a fact. Almost every vocation I talk to is like there's something of our lady in it, and that's not because she's bigger than God. It's because Jesus is designated her to do this, and I find our ladies priests are solid as a rock, devout, humble and very devoted to the Eucharist. And so if you're a discerning priesthood, go to our lady.

Speaker 1:

Like you said, joseph.

Speaker 2:

I'd say go to our lady.

Speaker 1:

Go to our lady Holy family. James, You're the most. Exactly, that's right. Another question that came in earlier in the week was how can I help friends that are a part of a different religion Any thoughts of their father Be a?

Speaker 2:

good witness. That's it in a nutshell. If you are a solid witness to the faith, if you are kind, if you are gentle, if you are meek, if you are humble, if you are compassionate, but if you are also, don't water down the faith. Be all those things and be true. You will be a light, a beacon that people want to seek out and they'll want to know what's different about you. We shouldn't bang to any other religion. We should be who we are, but be it like Jesus was. Be the beatitudes.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. Another question you had was in regards to social media. It was interesting to read. So it says do you think that posting yourself on social media cannot be vain or have a good purpose? Any thoughts on that?

Speaker 2:

100%. It can be not vain and it can have a good purpose. I've never been on social media until about four months ago when a mutual friend of us approached me and said you have great content. Nobody adheres it. You need to do something. And he said I can do this for you and you never have to go on. I will chop up your stuff, put it out there, make it available to attract people to the faith. And I said if you can do that, we'll take a test run and do it.

Speaker 2:

So we did it for a few months and instantly it was like he'd post something. It would get a million views in two days and it's mostly under 40s. So 40 and under. And they can find me because you can Google who I am and where I am, and they start sending me emails. I'm getting lots of emails from Gen Z, gen X, people who have lots of good questions and they want to know. I never heard this before, I didn't know this. Teach me more. So it actually is working. It's attracting them. And then he has the end of these posts. He'll put you know to listen to Father Dan daily. You can go to battle ready.

Speaker 1:

That's right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, right there, boom, and they're listening and they're learning. So it's having a good effect. You know, jesus didn't have this available 2000 years ago, I think. If he was here today I can't say for certain, but I think if he had a way to attract more people without diminishing the message, he would use it. I don't know for sure, but so far it's been pretty positive.

Speaker 1:

Well, I mean, if you think about St Paul and evangelizing right, we've got the daughters of St Paul and they're doing a great, great work on social media as well, with their tick-tock and reels always being posted.

Speaker 2:

You have to be careful, though, because you don't want to become. You don't want to become the message it's very easy for you to become like. Look at me, and I'm aware of that, and I don't want to be that guy. I have other friends, like Montsino-Rosetti. There's a priest down in Texas, this young guy, david Michael Moses. Oh yeah, he's brilliant at this. He's a good man. And it can be done. It can be done.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, but I think the idea of keeping yourself in check on a regular basis. I remember when I felt called to launch yes, catholic, it was a lot of time being at the tabernacle just saying out loud to the Lord Jesus, this is not my ministry, this is yours, you know. And if there are attachments like, help me to just remember that it's about you, right, yeah?

Speaker 2:

Because I am human. That's a good point. You know I have a holy hour every morning from six to seven, but my holy hour is is before. You know, comes before that holy hour, so that I get my own holy hour. And it's not negotiable, because if I don't have that time with the Lord I need to be filled up first so that when I go out into the world I'm bringing the graces he gives me in that holy hour out there. So that's a good point.

Speaker 1:

Cup that overflows, right? Yeah, so I'm going to read in the chat from Terry. Thank you, Terry. It says my atheist niece, who I haven't seen in years, texts me and is looking for God through a Protestant church. She says she knows nothing about the Catholic Church. Where do I start Any thoughts there?

Speaker 2:

Weird. What does she mean? By the way, do I start? What does she say to?

Speaker 1:

her. She said that she's looking for God and she knows nothing about the Catholic Church. But this woman is Catholic I believe.

Speaker 2:

So Well, I would say I know nothing of the Protestant Church, so let me start with what I know and then start. Here's what we believe and here is the tenants of the Catholic faith that I live, and this is what gets me through the tough times in my life. This is where I feel supported by Jesus, because he is literally alive and in Persona Christie, in the church where I go. It's not a symbol, he's literally staying, he's there. When I go visit, it's the same Jesus that walked with the disciples in that church. So I would start there and pray to the Holy Spirit to lead you.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely great advice, Father. What would you say is your hope for the future of the church? Ask every guest this every single time, and I just love asking it.

Speaker 2:

Thy kingdom come. That will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That's my hope that we would finally get to a point where we're doing things in perfect harmony with God's will and he wouldn't give us that prayer unless there was a way to get to it. So I believe it's gonna happen.

Speaker 1:

And based on your own experiences, what do you think a Catholic should be doing on a daily basis to draw closer to God?

Speaker 2:

Well, it depends on your state of life, but if you can get to Mass every day, that's the most important thing that happens on the planet Bar none. I am the only Catholic church in my county, so I tell my personers this is the most important building in Murray County because this is the only place where God comes down from heaven every day and dwells in this church and this is the only place where he absolves sinners from all their sins. So the police department, the hospital, the county clerk all those are great. They don't compare to this building. This is the most important and you get to come here and worship. How great is that for you? So that's the most important. Secondly, the Rosary has a particular protection over people and their families.

Speaker 2:

And he has said this over and over and over again If you pray my Rosary, particularly as a family, I will protect your families. Is she gonna protect you from death? No, because death is the chariot that gets you to the goal of heaven. So it's not gonna prevent you from dying, it's gonna help you get to heaven. So if you're worried about your kids or your grandkids, start praying the Rosary today. Don't start tomorrow. Today. That is the most powerful prayer right now. And, of course, if you can get to adoration, I would say monthly confession at a minimum.

Speaker 2:

Fasting unlocks the keys to God's power. Like, don't try to tackle everything at once because you'll be overwhelmed and you'll stop everything and you'll walk away. Take one thing, do it for a month when you get comfortable. Take on the next thing and going. Moderation, even with religion, is not a bad thing, because once you get that little flame of faith in your heart, you have to protect it, just like if you started a fire out in the wilderness with the flint. It takes a while to get that little fire going and then you wanna keep it really safe till you get really blazing and then you can walk away and go find the food, but keep it protected in the early stages.

Speaker 1:

I love that. All in all, no, father, I just wanna thank you so much for your yes to Jesus and his church. It's just been such a gift to be able to hear you share your story and how God's moved in your life. What a blessing you can hear the graces just throughout your journey.

Speaker 2:

Appreciate it.

Speaker 1:

If people wanna learn more or connect, how can they do so?

Speaker 2:

Battle ready. I'm on Monday through Friday, 9 am central 10 am radio Mariaus Yep, that's it, and I mean I'm out there. Grady has done a good job.

Speaker 1:

I'm everywhere now. Well, thank you so much again. Would you be able to close us in prayer tonight?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Awesome, and I thank you for your son in Holy Spirit. Amen, heavenly Father, pour out your spirit upon this ministry and all the listeners that they would be filled with your glory, your power, your joy, your peace, your hope, and that this would go forth as a great witness to the world of your love and your mercy for mankind. We ask you to bless and hold these people in your hearts and fill them with final perseverance at the end that one day they would all praise you forever in heaven and bless you all in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Speaker 1:

Amen. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the ministry, please share with others, post about it on social media or please leave a rating and review. To catch all the latest stories, you can follow us on Instagram at yescatholic and visit our website, yescatholiccom. If you have benefited from YesCatholic, please consider joining our Patreon community. Visit patreoncom slash yescatholic. I would like to thank our current patrons for your ongoing prayers, support and contributions that have helped YesCatholic reach thousands of souls all over the world each week. First Peter 3.15 says always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you. You have a story. Don't be afraid to share the good news of how Jesus Christ has moved in your life with a family member, friend or colleague. Give Jesus your yes every single day and watch the ripple effect of the gospel. Join us next week. The journey continues right here at YesCatholic.