Meet the Staff

Father Rich is a Dominican priest, ordained 15 years. He's served at Newman Centers at Indiana University, the University of New Mexico, and is coming to QP from the University of Missouri Newman Center in Columbia, Missouri.

Father Rich was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, with his four brothers and sister. He attended Catholic grade school and a Jesuit high school there. After a year in seminary, he left, got married, and had two children and four grandchildren. He lived and worked in the “real world” as a juvenile corrections counselor, a probation officer, and a community corrections counselor. After a divorce and subsequent annulment, the Dominicans accepted him, and he returned to seminary at age 47. Although he is a Dominican, he says that it is more about becoming a Dominican. They are always in formation, studying, learning, growing, ministering, and praying.

His journey has now brought him to QP, where he is looking forward to the challenges, excited about learning about Madison, and living in a larger Dominican community. The opportunity to work with an energetic group of school children will be a wonderful new experience for him too. Welcome, Father Rich!

Please join us in welcoming Monsignor Larry Bakke as Parochial Administrator!

Monsignor Bakke is a native priest-son of our parish, a long-serving pastor in the Diocese of Madison,  and a respected leader who has many natural relationships and connections here at QP. He has graciously stepped out of his very recent retirement to join us and will remain the Director of the Apostolate to the Handicapped.

He shares, “From childhood, I have wanted to be a priest, so I entered the seminary as a freshman in high school, first in Illinois, then transferring to the newly opened Holy Name Seminary, Madison in 1964. After completing two years in college there, I finished college and four years of theology at St. Mary's Seminary, Houston, TX. I was ordained for the Diocese of Madison by Bishop O'Donnell on May 23, 1975.” With Monsignor Larry growing up in our QP Parish, his ordination was cause for a celebration here!

Monsignor Bakke’s pastoral assignments include: 

• 1975-1977: Associate Pastor, St. Bernard Parish, Madison
• 1977-1984: Diocesan Director of Youth Ministry, Religious Ed. Office, Madison
• 1979-1993: Director of Camp Gray, the Diocesan Summer Camp & Youth Center, Reedsburg
• 1984-1991: Associate Pastor, St. Albert the Great Parish, Sun Prairie
• 1991-2000: Pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish, Sun Prairie
• 2000-2004: Catholic Chaplain at UW Hospital & Clinics, Madison
• 2000-2002: Pastor at Holy Redeemer Parish, Madison
• 2004-2011: Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph Parish, Baraboo
• 2011-2021: Pastor at St. Clare of Assisi Parish, Monroe & Director of the Apostolate to the Handicapped

He was born and raised in Madison, WI, the son of the late Ted and Nelle Bakke. He has three siblings: Ted (Sonya) live in Baraboo; Mary lives in Denver, Brian (Rhonda) in Arizona.