Father John Joseph Brenkle

1931 - 2025

Father John Brenkle, a beloved Catholic priest and tireless advocate for Latino farmworkers and the poor, died on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at the age of 94. He passed away peacefully at St. Helena Hospital after only a few hours of illness.

John Joseph Brenkle was born on October 4, 1931, in Martinez, California, to Phillip and Marie Brenkle, immigrants from Riedseltz in Alsace-Lorraine (now part of France). After graduating from John Swett High School in Crocket, California, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest in 1958. He served briefly in a parish in San Mateo before moving to Washington, D.C., to earn a doctoral degree in canon law from the Catholic University of America. While in the capital, Brenkle had a formative encounter with Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who encouraged him to engage deeply with the community and make the Church's presence felt in the lives of everyday people.

After working in the newly formed Santa Rosa Diocese, he spent two years in Zambia, where he ran a Catholic boarding school for 500 boys. Upon returning to Santa Rosa, he served as pastor and principal at St. Bernard's High School in Eureka, California. In 1978, he became pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Calistoga before being assigned in 1983 to St. Helena Catholic Church in St. Helena, where he would spend the next three decades.

It was there that he witnessed homeless migrants huddled on the church porch-an image that ignited his lifelong passion for social justice. In response, he joined clergy, vintners, and volunteers to found Napa Valley Ecumenical Housing in 1985. He also played a key role in establishing three Napa Valley farmworker housing centers and in developing two affordable housing projects in St. Helena: Hunt's Grove and Stonebridge. In addition, he worked closely with the St. Vincent de Paul Ministry to provide food, rent assistance, and clothing to those in need-an effort that continues today.

Among his many pastoral duties, one of Father Brenkle's greatest responsibilities was overseeing St. Helena Catholic School. During his 30 years in the parish, the school thrived under his leadership and became a vibrant hub of parish and family life.

Father Brenkle will be remembered as a devoted pastor, an excellent preacher, a champion of the marginalized, an avid golfer, and a loyal San Francisco 49ers fan.

He retired from St. Helena Catholic Parish in 2013 but remained in the community, enjoying time with family and friends and embracing a quieter, more contemplative life. To his family, he was always Uncle Jack-company was cherished, whether on the family ranch or during backpacking trips in the Sierras. The family felt truly blessed to have Uncle Jack present for many family celebrations, including baptisms, weddings, birthdays, and holidays. He is survived by his niece Katherine; his nephews Thomas and John; seven great-nieces and nephews; and ten great-great-grandnieces and nephews.

Services will be held at St. Helena Catholic Church in St. Helena, California, on Friday, December 19, 2025. The church will open for visitation at 9:00 a.m., followed by a rosary. The Funeral Mass will begin at 10:00 a.m., with burial to follow at St. Helena Catholic Cemetery. A reception will be held afterward in the gymnasium of the former St. Helena Catholic School.