A Son of God and Son of Mary: The 102nd Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, Sunday, October 13, 2019


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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