Father Goman remembered for his ministry, sense of humor

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

“He is, without a doubt, the best priest I’ve ever known,” Father John Malone said of Father Ralph Goman, who died May 11 at age 85.

Father Malone, pastor emeritus of Assumption in St. Paul, was three years behind Father Goman at The St. Paul Seminary, also in St. Paul, graduating in 1967. But he served with Father Goman for about two years at his first assignment, Incarnation in Minneapolis. “Those were the old days, with a pastor and four assistants,” Father Malone said. “Ralph was third assistant, and I was fourth assistant.”

Father Malone was scheduled to deliver the homily at Father Goman’s 10 a.m. May 25 funeral Mass at St. Gabriel’s, at the St. John the Evangelist campus in Hopkins. Archbishop Bernard Hebda was scheduled to be the chief concelebrant with Father Malone.

The Mass was to be livestreamed from the parish website, stgabrielhopkins org, under the “Worship” tab, at “Watch today’s Mass.”

Father Goman served 12 years as pastor of St. John the Evangelist, from 1996 to 2008. After learning about Father Goman’s death, Father Malone asked 10 former grade school and high school students who attended Incarnation when Father Goman served there. Eight were to be pallbearers at his funeral; two weren’t able to make it.

These 10 were so attached to Father Goman that, until recently, they’d meet every year for a retreat, Father Malone said. “He is a guy that you were just attracted to because he’s such an example of peace and innocence.”

Father Goman died at his residence at The Glenn Hopkins in Hopkins. He continued his ministry in retirement by assisting at parishes and where he lived.

Father Goman was born with a rare clotting disorder that limited some of his physical abilities, but not his effectiveness as a pastor or his sense of humor, said 94-year-old Virginia Vonhof, a 73-year parishioner of St. Gabriel at the St. John the Evangelist site. St. John and St. Joseph, also in Hopkins, merged in 2013 to create St. Gabriel parish.

Father Goman needed permission to be ordained because of his health, and his life was not easy, Father Malone said. He went through college and major seminary wondering if he’d ever get ordained. But he was committed to doing everything, and he was ordained — short of stature, huge of impact, Father Malone said. Father Goman’s challenges never held him back from being a very good priest, he said.

The two priests stayed good friends over the years. Father Malone said his friend brought out the best in other people. “To see him do what he could and do it so well made the ablebodied think ‘if he can do it, I should be able to do more.’” Because of his own issues, he was able to be “such an encouragement to other people,” Father Malone said.

Vonhof recalled a lector telling her years ago that Father Goman placed letters spelling the word “joy” behind the ambo.

“That meant when he … gave a sermon that he was to remember to bring joy,” she said. “Wherever you see joy, the Holy Spirit is involved.”

“He was so much fun,” and had an affection for appearing in plays, Vonhof said. “If all else failed, he could have been a thespian,” she said.

“He could have been on the stage.”

Every year, Father Goman surprised attendees of St. John the Evangelist’s St. Nick’s party, which included a skit. One year, he called Vonhof ahead of the party and said, “I know you love to paint. Do you have a tam and a smock?” She loaned him her red velvet tam, a round “poofy” hat that is associated with painters.

The skit focused on the 12 days of

Christmas. When the focus moved to the three French hens, he appeared wearing the tam, Vonhof said. “It brought down the house.”

When local schools consolidated, the elementary students put on “a terrific play,” she said, “and he always had a part in it.”

“The kids loved him,” Vonhof said. “There’s their pastor in the play” and an element of surprise of what role he was playing — not just a surprise to the audience but to the student-actors in the performance, she said.

Vonhof saved a letter she sent to the editor of Sun Newspapers in January 2004 about Father Goman. In part, it read, “Over the years ‘with the grace of God’ he has dignified his limitations. He has parlayed his perceptive gifts of charity, cheerfulness, communication, courage and creativity into an admirable pastoral model. Intensely motivated to be the best priest possible, he dispenses joy and compassion as well as humor and direction into every assignment.”

Father Goman, who grew up in south Minneapolis, graduated from DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis and the former Nazareth Hall minor seminary before entering The St. Paul Seminary, followed by ordination in 1964.

Father Goman served as assistant pastor of Incarnation in Minneapolis from 1964 to 1968 and for a month at St. Luke in St. Paul in 1968. He also served as chaplain at St. Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis from 1968 to 1974. He was on the faculty of St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul from 1974 to 1983 before returning to parish ministry — as assistant pastor of St. Timothy in Blaine from 1983 to 1984, pastor of Assumption in Richfield from 1984 to 1994 and parochial vicar of St. Olaf in Minneapolis from 1994 to 1996.

Father Goman served as a spiritual director at The St. Paul Seminary from 1995 to 1996, followed by his time as pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Hopkins from 1996 to 2008 and canonical moderator of Most Holy Trinity in St. Louis Park from 2007 until his retirement June 15, 2008.

Preceded in death by his parents, brother and sister-in-law, Father Goman is survived by a nephew and his wife, and their two children, as well as many cousins, other relatives and close friends.

Interment will be in Assumption Cemetery in Richfield. Memorials are preferred to DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, or St. Gabriel.