A Great Ambassador of the College
Monsignor Roger Roensch
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R E V. M S G R . A N T H O N Y F I G U E I R E D O C ’ 0 0, A R C H D I O C E S E O F N E WA R K
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priest is a priest not for himself … he is for you.” These words of St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests and model for seminarians, are what so many lay men and women, seminarians, priests, and bishops experienced in the person of Msgr. Roger Roensch, a priest of fifty-eight years, some thirty of which were devoted to the Pontifical North American College. Looking back at my many personal moments with Msgr. Roensch, three devotions of his, which are essential to every priest, help me in a particular way: his respect for the Supreme Pontiff; his love for the Blessed Mother; and his dedication to the Eucharist and prayer. As a seminarian and priest in Rome, Msgr. Roensch knew seven popes. Each was different – from the “Pope of Peace,” Pius XII, to St. John XXIII, known as the “Good Pope,” to the courageous defender of life, Blessed Paul VI, to the short papacy of the “smiling” Pope John Paul I to the charismatic energy of St. John
Msgr. Roensch toasting the New Man class of 2017 during lunch at Lake Albano during Early Orientation
Msgr. Roensch doing what he loved best, welcoming guests to Rome and to the College
Paul II to the humility of the great theologian Pope Benedict XVI, and finally to the love of the simple and poor in Pope Francis. In each Holy Father, Monsignor saw and called others to be grateful for the Holy Spirit’s providence to the Church and world at a particular moment in history. A second striking element of Msgr. Roensch’s priesthood was his devotion to our Blessed Mother. Having outlived his parents, Edward and Leocadia, and siblings, Jack, Fr. Fred, and Mary, Monsignor turned to Mary to be his mother. As a sign, he asked that a large wooden sculpture of the Virgin Mother be placed in the Chapel of Casa O’Toole, his home and that of priests on sabbatical at the College, and, to this end, he personally sought out donors. Monsignor might well have quipped alongside St. John Vianney to whom the Chapel is dedicated: “The Blessed Mother is the longest relationship that I have ever had … she is much better still than the best of mothers!” Finally, in a house dedicated to the formation of future priests, student
priests and priests on sabbatical, Msgr. Roensch called us to be faithful to the Eucharist and prayer. When I was studying in Rome as a priest and living at the Casa Santa Maria, Monsignor directed the Bishops’ Office for U.S. Visitors to the Vatican. Often he would remind us priests that he never went a day without celebrating Mass. Years later, as a faculty member, I lived with Msgr. Roensch on the Janiculum Hill campus, and so often, I would find him offering Mass on his own and praying the breviary into the late hours of the evening. Always he would remember the thousands of visitors from the United States whom he welcomed to Rome and the many others who give so generously to the College. How much we miss Msgr. Roensch’s knowledge of Rome, his priestly example and fatherly kindness! Yet I remain convinced that, in his large heart, even in heaven, he remains “a priest not for himself.” From there, Monsignor intercedes for us all, desiring that, as he exemplified, we too may live the Act of Love of Saint John Vianney: I love You, O my God My only desire is to love You, until the last breath of my life. Do me the grace: to suffer while loving You, to love You while suffering, and, that when I die: I not only will love You but experience it in my heart. Amen. ROMAN ECHOES 2016 • VOLUME 20: ISSUE 3
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