Father Jack Hopka was ordained in 1979 and is an alumnus of Holy Trinity Seminary and the University of Dallas. After parish assignments in Dallas and Duncanville, he was sent to St. Paul University in Ottawa to study canon law. He finished his studies in 1985 and received the pontifical licentiate in canon law from St. Paul's and the Master's in Canon Law from the Law School of the University of Ottawa. Father Hopka worked in tribunals in the Diocese of Dallas and the Archdioceses of San Antonio and Milwaukee (his hometown). Father Hopka's special interests are procedural jurisprudence, the workings of tribunals and Eastern Rite Canon Law.
In 1991, while remaining a diocesan priest, Father Hopka made profession in the Secular Franciscan Order. This is a worldwide order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. While the members do not take religious vows like Franciscan friars, they commit themselves to living the Franciscan spirituality in their day to day lives. Most of the members are laypeople, both married and single, but there are number of diocesan priests who are Secular Franciscans. Father is one of them.
Additionally, Father Hopka has a background and strong interest in meteorology. He was a meteorology major at St. Louis University before entering the seminary. He holds membership in the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. Father Hopka is a storm spotter for the National Weather Service and is an amateur radio operator. For the information of those of you who are radio operators, he holds a technician class license and his call sign is KE5FTL. He is also a member of the Dallas County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service or RACES (pronounced RAY-seez) and his unit number is 5475. 
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