Fr. Jones getting acquainted with half-sister he never knew
At age 61, Susan Breeden found out she has two half-brothers.
One of them is a priest of the Jefferson City diocese.
“I would have never imagined that scenario, and I have a pretty good imagination!” said Ms. Breeden, whose extended family now includes Father Stephen Jones, pastor of Cathedral of St. Joseph Parish in Jefferson City.
“It’s definitely a unique conversation piece with those who learn of my story,” she said.
Fr. Jones has a few interesting conversation-starters of his own.
Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, he entered seminary formation and was ordained a priest of the Anglican Communion, which allows married priests.
A growing understanding of the of the role of the successor of St. Peter and his authority eventually drew Fr. Jones, his wife and their children to discern full communion with the Catholic Church.
As a Catholic, Fr. Jones applied for and received permission to become a priest under a pastoral provision created by Pope St. John Paul II (+1978-2005).
Ordained in 2012, he served as chaplain and then as president of Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City, then as diocesan stewardship director before being appointed to the Cathedral parish in 2023.
Circle unbroken
Several years ago, Fr. Jones and his brother, Justin, found out completely by accident that he and Fr. Jones have a half-sister.
Their mother was very young when she gave birth to Ms. Breeden and could not take care of her, so she decided to let someone else adopt her.
Fr. Jones and his brother set out to find their sister.
“I couldn’t even begin to fathom how that scenario would play out,” said Fr. Jones. “But it has certainly exceeded anything I might’ve expected!”
The brothers spent more than a year following up on countless leads.
One day in 2023, Ms. Breeden, who now lives in Houston, Texas, received a Facebook message from a man she didn’t recognize, who wasn’t on her “friends” list.
It took her a while to get around to opening the message.
When she did, “it turned out to be one of the most memorable days of my life,” she said.
The correspondence from Justin Jones explained how he and his brother had been searching for their half-sister who was born in Fort Worth in 1962 and given up for adoption.
“Their search led to me!” said Ms. Breeden. “I could barely breathe.”
The thought had already occurred to her that since she was adopted, she probably had half-siblings somewhere.
“But I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of emotions,” she said. “Excitement, curiosity, fear of the unknown.”
She and the Jones brothers wound up speaking by phone a few times and then arranged to meet in person in Houston.
By then, “I felt as though I’d known them my whole life,” said Ms. Breeden. “Spending time with them in person only affirmed that.”
Fr. Jones got the same familial vibes.
“It was like hanging with someone you’ve known forever, and lots of fun,” he said.
Ms. Breeden said she immediately noticed some physical similarities between Fr. Jones, Justin and her older, now-deceased brother, David.
“Personality-wise, I think we all share a healthy balance of seriousness and playfulness,” she said. “They are both very comfortable to be around.”
They also share a similar sense of humor.
“Mine is perhaps a bit darker and drier, but I could be wrong,” she said. “Regardless, laughter is so important. I can’t get enough.”
Ms. Breeden had never been a “big sister” before and wondered how well she’d live up to the role.
“I do know that I’m extremely proud of these young men,” she said of Fr. Jones and Justin. “They’re intelligent, successful and funny. Although I don’t share a past with them, I’m looking forward to an amazing future.”
Twice blessed
Ms. Breeden grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas, before moving to Houston.
“I’m a technical writer for NASA by day, a romance writer for Harlequin by night,” she said.
She believes she’s living proof that “you can win the lottery twice in life.”
“My first time: Being adopted at birth by Martha and Bobby Breeden — the most loving parents a girl could ever want — and sharing my life with a brother who ended up being so much more than that,” she said.
The second time: having two terrific half-brothers track her down.
She’s convinced that God has been active in bringing all of these things together.
“I see God in everything,” she said. “Perhaps in this situation more than any other I’ve experienced.
“My birth mother wasn’t ready to raise a child,” she noted. “My adoptive parents desperately wanted children but couldn’t have any of their own. What could be a more perfect solution than that?
“And who, but God, could have made that happen?”
Although she likens her situation to “winning the lottery,” she doesn’t believe any of it was left up to chance.
“Trust me!” she said. “I haven’t been this lucky in anything else in life!”
Family union
This March, Ms. Breeden travelled to Jefferson City to meet “the rest of the Missouri Joneses” for the first time.
She got to visit with Fr. Jones and his wife, Kerri, three of their children and Mrs. Jones’s parents.
Ms. Breeden and Mrs. Jones went to the 10 a.m. Sunday Mass in the Cathedral, with Fr. Jones presiding.
Having been raised Presbyterian and still practicing that faith, she had never attended a Catholic Mass in person.
“I enjoyed everything about that weekend, including the service, but especially meeting the rest of the family for the first time,” she said.
They concluded the gathering with dinner at the Jones’s house, FaceTiming their other two children and sharing family photos and videos.
“Life is full of twists and turns ... and plenty of surprises,” Fr. Jones noted. “But, man, it sure is a beautiful thing!”
Ms. Breeden said being adopted by loving parents gives her a broader definition of family.
“For me, family are those who love and support and nurture one another — in my own lovely experience as an adoptee, unconditionally,” she said.
“It can also include community, such as a church or workplace family and close friends,” she stated.
It makes her sad to imagine the possibility of not having connected with her two “little brothers.”
“My new family has added so much richness and depth to my life,” she said.
“I suppose I’d still be the same person — appreciative of what I have,” she stated. “However, welcoming Stephen, Justin, and their families into my life has filled a void that I may have sensed on some level but not been able to define.”
All of these unexpected things have filled Fr. Jones’s heart with gratitude.
“I am so grateful for Susan’s family and the life she’s lived,” he said. “I’m also so very grateful that she’s my sister, and I look forward to getting to know her even more in the coming months and years.”
Gratitude
Ms. Breeden said if she could have a one-on-one conversation with God, she’d thank him “for giving me the sweetest parents that I and so many others have ever met.”
She’d also thank him for her adopted brother, David.
“He was my best friend,” she noted. “I’d want to know if I’d been what they had hoped for in a daughter and a little sister.”
She’d also ask for guidance on being a big sister now.
“This is new territory for me!” she said.
She hopes God would tell her that her parents are proud of her and wouldn’t have traded her for any other “little girl” in the world.
“They certainly made me feel as though that was the case,” she said.
“I’d also hope he’d assure me that I have what it takes to be a big sister and hopefully a best friend — one that Stephen and Justin can cherish,” she said.
Right now, she’s most grateful for her family (all definitions) and her health.
“And animals!” she said. “Right or wrong, I believe they have such pure and loyal souls.”
In terms of prayer, she recommends a regular dose of thanks, confession and petition.
“Express gratitude for the blessings in your life,” she suggested. “I also ask for guidance and forgiveness, daily. When a situation gets too heavy for me to carry, I ask — beg, if I’m being honest — him for help.”
She has two words for people who are adopted and get the opportunity to meet their extended family.
“Do it!” she said. “If you end up having a connection, it is the most beautiful and special thing. If not, you haven’t lost anything by trying.”
