J.M.J.
The Radiance of Christ: The Priesthood of Monsignor Kenneth W.
Roeltgen. Inspiration for Priests,
Religious and Laity by Margaret Ann Fiore. Meadville, Pennsylvania: Christian
Faith Publishing, Inc., 2019. Paperback. 148 pages. $19.95.
This work is a heartfelt tribute to the
late Monsignor Roeltgen, whose priesthood is measured not so much in years
(less than twenty-five) but rather in fervor as well as in souls encountered
and fortified.
The pages herein trace the life and vocation—first,
religious, and later, priestly—of Kenneth William Roeltgen, who was born on
December 22, 1947. A devout boy from an observant Catholic family in New
Jersey, Ken was a faithful son, student, altar boy and athlete, not to mention
a kind youth towards his neighbors, particularly the elderly. He was indebted
to his beloved parents, siblings and the Sisters of Notre Dame at Saint Leo
Catholic School for a solid Catholic formation.
He answered God’s call to the Consecrated
Life. On the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, 1965,
he received the religious Habit of the Congregation of Saint Francis Xavier,
also called the Xaverian Brothers. His name was “Meric.” From 1971 until 1976,
Brother Meric, C.F.X., taught at Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury,
Massachusetts.
Discerning a divine summons to the Holy
Priesthood, Brother Meric, now known again as Kenneth Roeltgen, in 1976 began
his studies as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Washington, initially at
Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and subsequently at the
Pontifical North American College in Rome. His Eminence William Wakefield
Cardinal Baum, the Archbishop of Washington, ordained him to the Sacred
Priesthood on May 19, 1979. The next day, Father Roeltgen offered his First
Holy Mass in Saint Camillus Church in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Whether as the Associate Pastor of Little
Flower Parish in Bethesda, Maryland, the Vocation Director of the Archdiocese
of Washington, the Director of Continuing Education for the Clergy or a
Procurator-Advocate in the Archdiocesan Marriage Tribunal, Father Roeltgen
exercised a dynamic priestly ministry, springing from the virtues of charity
and humility. The joy of Christ, which would become a hallmark of who Father
Roeltgen was and what he did, was already observed by those whom he met.
Full disclosure: I was a newly-ordained
deacon at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary when Father Roeltgen began his term as
the Rector on July 1, 1988. The goodness, cheerfulness, welcoming spirit, approachability
and hope in Jesus Christ expressed by Father Roeltgen to me and my brother seminarians
called forth from us both confidence and love. We really trusted that our
Rector was leading us in the path indicated by Holy Mother Church for those who
were preparing to become priests.
My family and I were very thankful that
Father Roeltgen attended my Ordination to the Priesthood on June 29, 1989, the
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, in Saint Joseph Cathedral in Sioux Falls,
South Dakota.
The years as the Rector of “The Mount”
were full for Father Roeltgen. He cooperated with the administration of Mount
Saint Mary’s University in a plethora of projects. His good will, affability
and competency were noted and appreciated.
Of course, his delight was to be hospitable
to the seminarians and the visitors who often came to the Seminary. In December
of 1995, Mother M. Teresa of Kolkata was one such guest.
In 1997, Monsignor Roeltgen left Mount
Saint Mary’s Seminary to become the Pastor of Saint Stephen Martyr Parish,
which is located in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington, D.C. Again, much
activity, always rooted in the Sacraments, resulted. This would be Monsignor
Roeltgen’s last assignment before the painful illness to which he freely and
fully submitted and his death at the age of 54 on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7,
2002.
Margaret Ann Fiore, whose life significantly
intersected with that of Monsignor Roeltgen’s, has written a beautiful encomium
that is filled with gratitude for this holy priest and his Christ-like efforts;
however, the notable professional accomplishments of the authoress, who serves
on the Rector’s Council of Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary and was the third
president of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, play second
fiddle to the considerable spiritual riches that she received from the personal
example of Monsignor Roeltgen and his sagacious words.
Generously sprinkling this text with a
helpful chronology, pictures, historical facts and testimonies of those who
knew the subject, Miss Fiore presents various characteristics that Monsignor
Roeltgen demonstrated throughout his years as a priest: ardent love for the
Most Blessed Sacrament as evidenced in the daily celebration of the Mass and
the daily Eucharistic Holy Hour; tender affection for Our Blessed Lady as seen
in his daily recitation of the Most Holy Rosary and his poignant homilies that
encouraged Marian veneration; abiding awareness of our Guardian Angels and the
Poor Souls in Purgatory; genuine care for the sick and the dying; sincere
esteem for the Holy Priesthood.
I happily recommend this volume, and I
hope that its readership is wide and its influence even greater.
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