Father Tony knew he wanted to be a missionary from the time he was in the fourth or fifth grade at St. Henry’s, a German national church, in Philadelphia, PA. He credits the MSC sisters and priests with providing an example in his childhood that inspires him to this day.
From those days in the 1950s, to his ordination on September 30, 1967, and through many assignments during his 50 plus year ministry, he lived his dream. Fr. Tony says it went by quick, “but I’ve usually felt at home wherever God put me.”
Fr. Tony was born in Yugoslavia (now Croatia) on September 6, 1941, to Mathias, now deceased, and Juliana (Feith) Ripp, also deceased. From 1948 -50, he attended school in Thundorf, Germany. In that same year, his family immigrated to the United States when he was about 8 years old. The MSC priests in Germany were very helpful getting them to the train station, car and boat. This always stayed with him. The family was sponsored by his great aunt and her husband in the USA. He completed his primary schooling at St. Henry’s in 1955, the same year in which he became a USA citizen. Most of the MSC priests and sisters were bilingual (German/English) and so he was able to learn English in just 3 months! He said he used to practice in the dining hall while in 3rd through 5th grade.
He became an altar boy while at St. Henrys. He says he was very close to the MSC nuns and that they were great teachers. The nuns gave him a job of watering and taking care of the flowers and in return, they gave him treats. Sister Agnata was big influence on him. The 8 th grade nun, Sr. Britta was the main influence on him and he knew he wanted to become an MSC priest. He remembers Missionaries who would come from overseas to talk to the students and parishioners in church. This created his great interest in Africa and felt he could do more overseas. While in 7th and 8th grade, the MSC priests there were a big influence, in particular, Fr. Henry Einhaus.
In 1955, he graduated 8th grade and had applied to the seminary in Geneva, IL. And so, the MSC Vocation Director, Fr. Shue, came to talk to him personally. He happened to be German. Fr. Tony says, ‘it was signed, sealed, and delivered’ at that point. He started there in 1955 and was there to complete 4 years of secondary education and one year of college. In 1960, he entered the novitiate in Youngstown, OH making his first profession of vows in 1961. He then went on to Sacred Heart Seminary in Shelby, OH professing his final vows in 1964.
Fr. Tony was ordained a priest by Bishop Donovan, D.D., in Mansfield, OH on September 30, 1967. Following his completion of studies in 1968, he was assigned to the mission in Papua, New Guinea, where he held various roles and titles over 24 years!
