Father Barry Gearing is a lifelong resident of Cleveland. He graduated from Medina Senior High School in 1985 and immediately enlisted in the US Air Force where he was a Law Enforcement Officer.
After completing 4 years in the military, he began study at the University of Akron where he majored in English and minored in Education.
Responding to the Lord’s call in the fall of 1994, he transferred to Borromeo Seminary while also attending John Carroll University. Upon graduation from Borromeo Seminary and John Carroll University in 1995 he attended St. Mary Seminary and was ordained on May 20, 2000.
His first assignment was at St. Anselm parish in Chesterland where he served for 5 years. He then was named parochial vicar at St. Joseph Church in Strongsville until September 1st, 2008, when he became the pastor of St. Adalbert Parish in Berea. He served at St. Adalbert until May 1st, 2018, when he was then named as pastor of St. John Neumann Parish where he currently serves the catholic population of Strongsville.
In addition to celebrating the Holy Mass and hearing confessions, Father has a deep love for the teachings of St. John Paul II. He has attended numerous weeklong emersion courses at the Theology of the Body Institute near Philadelphia PA.
It is this knowledge that he hopes to bring to the Marriages of Grace community as our spiritual director!