Fr. Keith Branson, C.PP.S., celebrates 25 years

Fr. Keith Branson was born in June 1956 in Lexington, Missouri. He was baptized at the First Presbyterian Church in Higginsville, Missouri, on April 11, 1965, and confirmed on March 1, 1994, at St. Lawrence Church in Lawrence, Kansas.   

Fr. Branson entered formation with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in Missouri in 1994 and made his profession in August of 1996. He was ordained a transitional deacon at Sacred Heart Church in Warrensburg, Missouri, on May 5, 1999. He was ordained a priest on June 9, 2000, by Bishop Joseph L. Charron, C.PP.S., at St. Francis Xavier Church in St. Joseph, Missouri. 

Fr. Branson was an instructor during the summer at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, from 1997 to 2005. He served his deacon internship from August 1999 to January 2000 at St. Mary’s Church in Centerville, Iowa. 

As his first assignment, Fr. Branson was the parochial vicar at St. Charles Borromeo in Gladstone, Missouri, from August 2000 to June of 2003. From Aug. 15, 2003, to August 2005, he was the parochial vicar at St. James Parish in Liberty, Missouri.     

Fr. Branson served in the ministry of retreats and missions from September 2005 to 2007 at the Precious Blood Center in Liberty, Missouri. During part of this time, (Dec. 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006), he was the administrator at St. Ann Church in Warsaw, Missouri, and Mission of Sts. Peter and Paul. From June 2006 until June 2007, Fr. Branson worked in retreat and renewal ministry at Precious Blood Center in Liberty, Missouri. From July 1, 2007, until June 2012, Fr. Branson was the pastor at St. Anne Church in Warsaw, Missouri, and Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Cole Camp, Missouri. 

From July 1, 2012, to present day, he has served in retreat and renewal ministry at the Precious Blood Center in Liberty, Missouri. From August 2012 to December of 2023, he was the university chaplain at Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri. He became the interprovincial director of special formation for the former Kansas City Province in Kansas City, Missouri, from 2015 to 2023. Then next leg of his journey was as Priest in Residence at Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty, Missouri. Fr. Branson was the 4th Counsellor of the Kansas City Province and was the Leadership Team  Representative to the Companion Council in July of 2019 to June of 2022.  

Favorite bible quote: 
“But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.” 
Ephesians 2:13