During today’s joint session to honor Ohio’s fallen service members, State Representative Anne Gonzales (R-Westerville) welcomed Father Charles F. Klinger—the pastor at Westerville St. Paul the Apostle parish—to offer the opening invocation before the full Legislature.

“I am very pleased that Fr. Klinger was able to join us for today’s session and give the opening prayer,” Gonzales said. “He is a leader not only within his church but also within the Westerville community, and to have him join me in the Statehouse for session was a wonderful experience.”

Fr. Klinger was born in Marietta and raised in Clintonville, where he attended Catholic schools and graduated from St. Charles. He earned a B.A. and M.A. from the Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in medieval history from the University of Minnesota. He gained his seminary training at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned a Master of Divinity degree.

During and after his graduate studies, Fr. Klinger taught college history at the University of Minnesota and at a branch of the College of Saint Francis in Joliet, Illinois. He is very interested in public affairs and, while in Minnesota, was involved in local and presidential politics.

In 1983 Fr. Klinger was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Columbus and previously served as pastor at Plain City St. Joseph and at Zanesville St. Nicholas. He also taught at the Pontifical College Josephinum. He has been pastor at Westerville St. Paul the Apostle parish since July 2003.