John E. Rotelle, O.S.A.

1939 – 2002 (September 1)

John Edward Rotelle, son of Mariano Rotelle and Esther Veneziale, was born on January 18, 1939, in Ambler, Pa. He was baptized in Saint Joseph Church in Amber, and received his early education at Saint Joseph Parochial School. In 1956, he graduated from Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, Pennsylvania, and entered the novitiate at New Hamburg, New York. John professed first vows on September 10, 1957, and solemn vows on September 10, 1960. In 1961, he graduated from Villanova University with the BA in philosophy, and continued his studies at the Augustinian International College of St. Monica in Rome where he was ordained to the priesthood on February 20, 1965. The following year he obtained the STL from the Gregorian University. He continued his studies in liturgy at Instituto San Anselmo in Rome.

While a student in Rome, during the Second Vatican Council and later, Father Rotelle participated in the Church's liturgical reform, which included the translation of texts for the Sacramentary and the Liturgy of the Hours, and worked on the International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). For the rest of his life he continued working in those areas, translating and publishing texts from the Church Fathers, especially Saint Augustine, and writers who are a part of Augustinian heritage. In 1969, Father Rotelle became director of students at the International College of Saint Monica. From 1970 to 1974, he was Director of Students at Augustinian College, Washington, DC. In 1977 he took up residence at Austin Friars Hall, in Washington, where he served as second counselor and Sacristan. In 1982, he was appointed Province Director of Communications and a member of the Augustinian Community in Overbrook, Pa. The following year he moved to Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova, where he lived until 1985, when he became a member of Saint John Stone Friary, Villanova. He became Director of Augustinian Press, Spiritual Director of the Augustinian Seculars, and from 1994 until his death in 2002, secretary to the provincial.

Father Rotelle was a member of an international network of translators and publishers of Liturgical and Patristic works and worked to introduced the early Church writers to a worldwide English-speaking audience. Though his energies were focused on Church related publications, he always had a strong desire to serve in the Peruvian Missions and in higher education. He was proficient in Italian, French, German, Spanish and possessed a reading ability of Dutch. 

Father Rotelle died on September 1, 2002, of cancer. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Villanova on September 4, 2002, followed by interment in his family’s plot at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.
 

John Rosseter, O.S.A.

1751 – 1812 (October 20)

John Rosseter was born in Wexford, Ireland on February 23, 1751, the son of Patrick Rosseter and Margaret Bent. He studied for the priesthood in the Irish Seminary of Louvain, and was ordained for the diocese of Ferns. Within a short time he was named pastor in Enniscorthy, a post he held for four years. In 1783 he resigned his pastorate, entered the Augustinian novitiate in Dublin and made his profession on May 31, 1784. He was then assigned to the community at New Ross, where he spent the next ten years, with a two year hiatus as formation director at the Irish College in Rome during that period. 

In 1794, Father Rosseter came to the United States where, with Father Michael Ennis, a diocesan priest of Wexford, he entered the missionary services under the jurisdiction of Bishop Carroll. For some years, he lived at Coffee Run in Delaware and directed the building of the Church. From there he also attended the country missions, as well as one in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

In 1796, he worked with Father Carr at Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia. In this same year, he, Father Carr and others initiated moves for the foundation of a new province. In 1796, while stationed at Saint Mary's in Philadelphia, he and Father Carr purchased the first ground for Saint Augustine's Church in Philadelphia. And when Saint Augustine's was opened in September 1801, Father Rosseter was made the rector of Saint Mary's and superior of old Saint Joseph's, offices he held until 1808 when Father Michael Egan was named the first Bishop of Philadelphia.

Father Rosseter's health began to fail in 1804. However, he was very active in administering the Sacraments during the Yellow Fever Plague in 1805. In 1811, his ill health forced him to retire to the Saint Thomas Manor in Saint Charles' County, Maryland. He died there at the age of 61 on October 20, 1812, and is buried in the cemetery there.

Father Rosseter can be considered the Augustinian pioneer in the American Augustinian mission, having arrived two years before Father Matthew Carr, with the intention of starting an Augustinian foundation. It would be Father Carr, however, who would significantly help it to become a reality.
 

Louis A. Rongione, O.S.A.

1912 – 1980 (June 19)

Louis Anthony Rongione, son of Joseph Rongione and Christina Celino, was born on August 23, 1912, in Aquafondata, Italy, where he was baptized on August 28, 1912, in the Church of St. John the Baptist. The Rongione family moved to the United States, and took up residence in Philadelphia, where Louis received his early education at St. Rita Parish School. On September 15, 1927, he became a first year postulant at Augustinian Academy on Staten Island, New York. While at the Academy he was elected class Secretary, Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook and President of the Oratorical Society. On September 12, 1931, he was received into the novitiate at New Hamburg, New York, professed first vows on September 13, 1932, and solemn vows on September 13, 1935. In June 1936, he received his B.A. degree from Villanova College, Villanova, Pa. From 1936 to 1940, he pursued theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C., and in June 1940, he received an M.A. in Education, from Catholic University. On May 30, 1939, Louis was ordained to the priesthood by John M. McNamara, Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, Md., in the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.

Father Rongione received his first assignment to St. Rita High School, Chicago, Ill., on September 6, 1940, where he taught senior English, French and Religion and served as Librarian. In the summer of 1941, he returned to Augustinian Academy on Staten Island, N. Y. where, for the next nine years, he taught the same subjects with the addition of Greek. In 1950, Father was appointed Dean of the Evening Division at Villanova and continued his teaching career, specializing in Moral Theology, including Medical Ethics, and Philosophy. He was moderator of the Villanovan, the Radio Station, the Yearbook, and the InterNos. In October 1952, he was appointed librarian at St. Monica, Rome. In 1953, he returned to Villanova as professor, and in 1956, upon the death of Father Daniel Falvey, he was appointed Chairman of the Library Science Department. He served on the advisory boards at Cabrini College and St. Joseph School of Nursing, Reading, Pa. In addition to being a councilor of the Province, he was appointed prior, first at St. Mary's Hall, then at St. Thomas of Villanova Monastery, where he was respected for his spiritual concerns and gentle attitude toward the members of the community.

As scholar and author, Father Rongione penned books of homilies, conferences on the Beatitudes, the treatise, The Liberty Bell's Sister, and many articles on library science and religious education. For the last 6 years of his life, he prepared weekly homilies for The Philadelphia Catholic Standard and Times. His writings, and the homilies he delivered at Sacred Heart Church in Manoa, for over 20 years, reflect his familiarity with and love for St. Augustine.

Father John M. Driscoll, O.S.A., former President of Villanova, reflected, "Father Rongione brought a warm and human touch to many scholarly and professional activities. He always looked for the best in people and situations. He was admired, respected and loved by all who knew him."

Father Rongione died on June 19, 1980, after a long illness which, at a certain point, required the amputation of his arm. He bor that loss with customary good humor and patience. A Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated in St. Thomas Church on the Villanova campus, and interment followed in Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, Pa.

Francis D. Ronan, O.S.A.

1896 – 1948 (May 3)

Francis Daniel Ronan was born in Andover, Massachusetts, on May 19, 1896, the son of John Ronan and Elizabeth Williamson. Following his early education, he entered the novitiate at Villanova, Pennsylvania, on June 24, 1917, and made his simple profession of vows on July 23, 1918. Solemn profession occurred on the same day in 1921. Francis was ordained to the priesthood in the Cathedral of Philadelphia by Archbishop Denis Dougherty on September 24, 1922. 

Father Ronan was assigned in 1923 to serve as an assistant at Saint Augustine's in Havana, Cuba. The following year he was sent to Saint Laurence O'Toole Parish in Lawrence, MA, and in 1926 to Saint Matthew's in Flint, MI. He was appointed a member of the Mission Band in 1931 and served this ministry for 12 years, after which he became associate pastor of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine in Atlantic City, N.J. In February, 1943, Father Ronan was appointed prior and pastor of Saint Patrick's in Cambridge, NY.

On Monday, May 3, 1948, a fire broke out in Father Ronan’s room at Saint Patrick’s, causing him severe burns. He was taken to Mary McClellan Hospital where he of sever shock soon after. He was 52 years old and had been pastor only three months. A Requiem Mass was celebrated in Saint Patrick’s Church with Prior Provincial, Father Mortimer Sullivan presiding and Father George Walker as preacher. A second Mass was celebrated at Saint Augustine Parish, Andover, after which Father Ronan was buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Lawrence, MA. 

Thomas F. Roland, O.S.A.

1891 – 1967 (September 14)

Thomas Francis Roland, the son of Thomas Roland and Anna Collins, was born in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, New York, on May 30, 1891. He entered Saint Rita's Hall, in February 1904 and was received into the novitiate three years later on July 4, 1907. He made profession of simple vows on July 6, 1908, and that same year he left for Rome to study Philosophy and Theology at the International Augustinian College of Saint Monica. He made his solemn profession of vows there on October 18, 1911, and was ordained on January 11, 1914 by Cardinal Basilio Pompilj.

On his return from Rome, Father Roland was assigned as an associate in Saint Rita's Church, Philadelphia. Later he served as an associate in the Church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, the Bronx, N.Y. He was appointed Pastor of Saint Rita's Church in Philadelphia in 1912 after the death of the former pastor, Father Matthew Corcoran, O.S.A. In June 1932 Father Roland was appointed prior of the Novitiate of Our Mother of Good Counsel in New Hamburg, N.Y. and served there until July 1938. After a year at Saint Joseph's Church in Greenwich, N.Y., his health failing, he was assigned to the monastery at Villanova and appointed Archivist of the Province. He held this office until his death.

During these years he served in various official capacities for the Province. On October 6, 1954, he was appointed Provincial Secretary and Socius and remained in this office until the Provincial Chapter of June 1956. When the Province opened the first Mission in Japan, Father Roland was entrusted with seeking financial help for the work and became Editor of the Augustinian Foreign Missions. He was officially appointed Secretary of our Missions in Japan until he was forced to resign because of ill health in January 1967. In November 1954, he organized the Philadelphia Auxiliary of the Augustinian Foreign Mission Bureau, an outstanding group of Catholic laywomen of the Philadelphia area who would assist in the financial support of the foreign missions.

Father Roland translated The Augustinians a short history of the Order written by the late Bishop DeRomanis, O.S.A. In 1946 he published The O.S.A. in the U.S.A., a short outline history of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova in the United States. Father Roland was a charter member of the Radnor Historical Society and also a member of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia. He served as President of the latter from December 1949 to January 1951.

Father Roland died after a long illness in Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr, PA, on September 14, 1967. Father Norbert Whitley, O.S.A., prior of Saint Mary’s Hall Community, Villanova, was celebrant of the funeral mass on September 18, after which Father Roland was buried in the new Saint Mary's Hall Cemetery. His remains were later re-interred in the Augustinian Plot of Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken.

Thomas E. Rogers, O.S.A.

1906 – 1994 (October 17)

Thomas Edward Rogers was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1906, the son of William H. Rogers and Catherine A. Crowley. He had three brothers and two sisters. Baptized in the church of Saint John the Evangelist in Philadelphia, his early education was in the Philadelphia public schools. His secondary school education began in Central High School, Philadelphia. However, he transferred to Augustinian Academy on Staten Island, New York, as a postulant and graduated from there in 1925. That same year he was received into the novitiate and professed simple vows August 16, 1926. Three years later he made his solemn profession on August 16, 1929. Thomas graduated from Villanova College with an A.B. degree in philosophy in 1930 and studied theology at Augustinian College in Washington, DC. On June 13, 1933, he was ordained to the priesthood at the National Shrine of me Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. The following year he completed graduate studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
Father Rogers' first assignment in 1934 was to the Augustinian Mission Band. For the next twenty-eight years, six of these as rector of the Mission Band, he traveled extensively giving missions, retreats, and talks at various parishes and to many groups throughout the country. During these years he was in residence at Saint Mary's in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery on the Villanova campus, and at the Assumption, also in Lawrence, where he was the prior of the Augustinian community.

In 1962 Father Rogers entered parochial ministry as associate pastor and prior at Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Church in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1968 he was assigned to Saint Patrick's Church in Cambridge, New York, as pastor and superior. From 1971 until 1977 he was associate pastor of Our Mother of Good Counsel, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and Our Mother of Consolation, Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania. In 1977 Father Rogers returned to Saint Nicholas of Tolentine in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest on June 13, 1983. Although well past the age of retirement he continued his priestly ministry. 

In March of 1994 failing health led to his transfer to Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery on the campus of Villanova University, where he could be cared for properly by the nursing staff. Father Rogers died in Bryn Mawr Hospital, on October 17, 1994 at eighty-eight years of age, having been a professed religious for sixty-eight years and a priest for sixty-one.Father Rogers possessed a fine mind, a powerful voice, as well as a keen grasp of the faith and human nature. All of the God given gifts he used for the benefit of all who came in contact with him. At Saint Charles Seminary in Philadelphia many priests of the Archdiocese remembered him as "Red Tom Rogers" the Augustinian priest who gave "the wonderful priests' retreats." 

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at Saint Thomas Church, Villanova University, on October 19. The main celebrant was Father John E. Deegan, O.S.A., the prior provincial and the homily was given by Father Dante I. Girolami, O.S.A. Interment was in the Rogers' family plot at Holy Cross cemetery, Yeadon, Pennsylvania.

Francis J. Rodriguez, O.S.A.

1933 – 1986 (May 2)

Francisco Javier Rodriguez Sanchez was born in Marianao, Havana, Cuba, on December 3, 1933, the son of Placido Rodriguez and Otmaro Sanchez. His primary education was obtained in Cuba and his secondary education at Mount Assumption Institute in Plattsburg, New York. He graduated in 1955 from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, with a B.S. degree. Francisco was received into the novitiate in 1957 and professed simple vows on September 10, 1958. He was solemnly professed three years later. He pursued philosophical studies at Villanova University and theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, DC. He was ordained to the priesthood on February 9, 1963 in Washington, D.C. 

In 1963 Father Rodriguez was assigned to teach at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C. One year later he was transferred to Monsignor Bonner High School, Drexel Hill, PA, where he remained for five years. In 1970 he became associate pastor of Holy Rosary Church, Lawrence, MA. In 1970 he returned to Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, DC, to teach and to work in administration. In 1974 he was assigned to Biscayne College, Miami, FL. There he was instrumental in establishing and organizing the bilingual institute. The students affectionately called him "Father Rod." He was a confidant to young and old alike and made everyone feel comfortable and at ease. His jovial and nonchalant manner masked a man whose faith was deep and whose love for and ministry to his many friends knew no bounds. 

He met his final challenge of cancer in a manner which inspired others and was for many testimony of his love for and belief in the Risen Lord. The former dean of Saint Thomas University's Bilingual Program died in Miami, FL, on May 3, 1986 of cancer. He was 53. Father Rodriguez is buried in his family plot in Miami, FL. 

Thomas J. Rodgers, O.S.A.

1905 – 1971 (March 26)

Thomas Joseph Rodgers, son of Thomas J. Rodgers, Sr., and Bridget Daley, was born on December 6, 1905, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he was baptized in the Church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine. He received his early education in Saint Nicholas School, and at thirteen years of age, became a postulant at Villanova Prep, Villanova, Pa. He continued on at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, and entered the novitiate on August 15, 1925, professed first vows on August 16, 1926 and made solemn profession on August 16, 1929. He continued his studies at Villanova College, Villanova, Pa., where he received an A.B. degree in June, 1930. Thomas then studied theology at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C., and was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1933.

Father Rodgers received his first assignment to the parish of Saint Mary, Lawrence, Ma., where he resided while preaching on the Augustinian Mission Band. For eighteen years he was recognized as a charismatic preacher of missions and retreats. Later, during those years on the Mission Band, he was alternately a member of the communities of Saint Rita  Philadelphia, and Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova. 

Following his preaching ministry Father Rodgers assisted at the New York parishes of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, Jamaica, and Saint Paul, Mechanicville. In the summer of 1948, he taught at El Christo, Havana, Cuba. In 1952, he returned to Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish, Jamaica, until for health reasons he was assigned to Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery. In 1963, he was appointed assistant at Saint John's Parish, Schaghticoke, N.Y., followed by two other New York assignments: Saint James, Carthage, and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Staten Island. In January, 1971, due to ill-health, Father Rodgers retired to Saint Thomas Monastery, where he died on March 26, 1971 at the age of 65. 

Father Robert E. Regan, O.S.A., homilist at Father Rodgers' Mass of the Resurrection, eulogized him with these words. "He shared in other apostolates, including that of parochial work; but his special talent and special love was in the preaching ministry. He had many gifts of nature and grace in this area of life: a commanding presence, a strong clear voice, a clear style, great compassion, and a good sense of humor."

His Funeral Mass was celebrated in the chapel of Saint Mary's Hall, Villanova, Pa., followed by interment in the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
 

Edward G. Robinson, O.S.A.

1923 – 1980 (May 26)

Edward George Robinson, son of Edward Robinson and Emma Waldren, was born on June 19, 1923, in Albany, New York. He was baptized on July 1, 1923 in the church of St. James in Albany. After his public grade school education he entered the Vincentian Institute in Albany, where he completed a four year high school curriculum. In September, 1941, he began a first year college course as a postulant at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York. On September 9, 1942, Edward was accepted into the novitiate, professed first vows on September 10, 1943, and made his solemn profession on September 10, 1946. In June, 1946, he received his B.A. degree from Villanova College, Villanova, Pa. From 1946 to 1950, he studied theology at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C., and, at Catholic University, he also completed courses, wrote a dissertation and received credits for an M.A. in Latin and Greek. On June 11, 1949, he was ordained to the priesthood by Most Rev. Edmund F. Gibbons, Bishop of the diocese of Albany, New York, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, in Albany.

In the Fall of 1950, Father Robinson received his first assignment to St. Thomas High School in Rockford, Illinois, where he taught courses in General Science, and served as disciplinarian for two years. In November, 1952, as a member of the Chicago Province, he became a missionary to Japan, where he served a total of eighteen years. On November 11, 1952, he was assigned to Nagasaki, and in March, 1958, he became pastor in the parish at Hatano. In 1970, Father Robinson returned to the United States, was affiliated to the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, and was assigned to St. Augustine Parish in Troy, New York, where he was able to assist his father who was ill. Two years later he returned to Japan for a short time and then accepted an assignment to the parish of St. Thomas Aquinas, Ojai, California. In 1973, he returned to St. Augustine Parish in Troy, where he served as an assistant until September 1, 1973, at which time he was appointed Pastor and Prior at St. Augustine Parish in Andover, Massachusetts. His last assignment was to Lawrence, Ma., where he became an associate pastor at St. Augustine Parish.

Father Robinson possessed a great desire and ability to entertain guests. He cherished the memories of those who knew him by maintaining photo albums filled with hundreds of pictures of relatives, parishioners, friends and visitors. A friar who was a good friend of Father "Rusty," as he was widely known, wrote, "One of Rusty's greatest qualities was his compassion, a deep sensitivity for people, especially for those who were suffering or were disadvantaged in any way. Rusty had a heart as big as himself; he was open and friendly to everyone, and was very generous. He trusted people, and for that reason he was an easy mark for anyone with a hard luck story."

On May 26, 1980, Father Robinson died by drowning while swimming at Rye Beach, New Hampshire. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher, Merrimack College, No. Andover, Ma. A second liturgy was celebrated at St. Augustine Church, Troy, New York, followed by interment at St. John Cemetery in Troy. 

Frederick S. Riordan, O.S.A.

1868 – 1936 (November 20)

Frederick Stephen Riordan was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on December 25, 1868, and was baptized on the same day at Saint Mary’s Church there. He entered the novitiate at Villanova, Pennsylvania, on September 3, 1891 but, at the death of his mother in December, he left the novitiate to return home. He returned in January, 1892 and began his novitiate again on February 10th of that year. He made his simple profession on February 11, 1893 and was solemnly professed on February 13, 1896. Following studies, he was ordained to the priesthood on May 3, 1896 by Archbishop Patrick Ryan in the Philadelphia Cathedral.

After ordination, Father Riordan was assigned to Our Mother of Consolation Parish, Chestnut Hill, PA, where he remained until 1902 when he was transferred to Immaculate Conception Parish, Hoosick Falls. The following year he was assigned to Saint Paul’s Parish, Mechanicville, New York. In 1907, he was appointed rector at Saint Augustine’s, Andover, and remained there 11 years. During his pastorate he purchased property and built the parish elementary school. In 1918, Father Riordan became pastor of St. Laurence Parish, Lawrence, MA., and in 1929 returned to Hoosick Falls. In 1932, he took up residence again at Saint Laurence.Later he served as rector at Andover, Mass.; Saint Laurence's in Lawrence, Mass.

It was during his last assignment at Saint Laurence, that Father Riordan died in Holy Ghost Hospital, Cambridge, Mass., from the effects of diabetes, on November 20, 1936 at the age of 68. His Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated by Prior Provincial Mortimer Sullivan, O.S.A. on Monday, November 23rd, after which Father Riordan was buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery, Lawrence.
 

Patrick J. Rice, O.S.A.

1919 – 2003 (October 21)

Patrick Joseph Rice, son of Patrick Rice and Catherine Callan, was born in New York on July 12, 1919, and baptized in the Church of the Good Shepherd, the Bronx. He attended Good Shepherd Parochial School, Manhattan College High School and Manhattan College from which he graduated with a degree in Business Administration in 1941. He then entered Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, N.Y., where he was a post graduate postulant. In 1943, Patrick was accepted at Our Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, N.Y., and professed simple vows on September 10, 1944. After one year of philosophy at Villanova College he studied theology at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C., and  professed solemn vows in 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop McNamara, on June 8, 1948, in the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington. 

In 1949, after having received an MA in Economics from the Catholic University, Washington, D.C., Father Rice spent the summer as an assistant at San Agustin, Miramar, Havana, Cuba. Then, while a member of St. Nicholas of Tolentine community, Jamaica, N.Y., he became a Ph.D candidate in economics at Columbia University, N.Y. In 1953, he was assigned as an associate pastor at St. Nicholas Parish.

For the academic year 1955-1956, he was assigned as a faculty member at Archbishop Prendergast High School, Drexel Hill, Pa. He then was appointed to Saint Mary's Hall, Villanova, Pa., as faculty member, sub-master and treasurer, and assistant director of the Augustinian Seminary Guild, positions he held into 1958. In 1959, Father Rice was assigned to Merrimack College, North Andover, Ma., where he was appointed treasurer of the college, treasurer of the Augustinian community and a member of the Board of Trustees. In August, 1965, he was transferred to Villanova University, and, for the next thirty-four years served in various capacities: faculty member, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Executive Vice President. Among honors he received were: Alumni Honors Committee of Manhattan College, Advisory Committee to Assist Secretary of Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and member of the executive committee for the Association of N.R.O.T.C. Colleges.

Father Rice retired from the university on May 1, 1998. He was recognized as a quiet gentleman, a dedicated priest, a gracious brother, a keen administrator, and a faithful confessor for the Villanova students. He assisted on weekends at various parishes in Pomona, N.J. and later at St. Mary Magdalen in Rose Tree, Pa. His love for Villanova University and for the campus led him to oversee in detail the maintenance of the campus.

Father Patrick Rice died peacefully on Tuesday, October 21, 2003. Funeral liturgies were conducted at the Villanova church and at St. Elizabeth Church, Wyckoff, New Jersey. Interment took place in his family's plot in Maryrest Cemetery, Mahwah, N.J.

Christian A. Retera, O.S.A.

1905 – 1983 (March 11)

Christian A. Retera was born in Antwerp, Belgium, on December 15, 1905. He entered the Order of Saint Augustine in 1925 and professed simple vows on September 14, 1926, and solemn vows on September 17, 1929. He was ordained to the priesthood in Den Bosch, Netherlands, on May 30, 1931.

From 1932 until 1952 he taught in Haarlem, Holland, and in 1949 obtained a Doctorate in English from City University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Although remaining always a member of the Province of Holland, Father Retera labored for many years in the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova. He taught at Merrimack College and at Biscayne College for a number of years. His specialization was the English language. He was an expert in English grammar and literature. In 1981 Father celebrated his golden jubilee of ordination to the priesthood. His classmate in formation was Augustinian Bishop Canisius Van Lierde, Vicar General of Vatican City.

Father Retera was respected by his students as a kind, cheerful man, who never began class without greeting individually each of his students.

The Biscayne College Community took leave of Father Retera with a viewing and a Mass on March 14 1983. The Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova held a viewing and celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial in Saint Thomas of Villanova Campus Church on March 15, 1983. In his homily, Father Joseph Duffey, O.S.A., Prior Provincial, thanked the Province of Holland and in particular, Fathers Jan Busch and Francis Brian, also members of the Province of Holland, and other Dutch Augustinians in this Province, for the example, zeal, and dedication that they gave to the Province.

Burial of Father Retera took place the next day in the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, PA. 

Guglielmo S. Repetti, O.S.A.

1872 – 1899 (August 2)

Guglielmo Serafino Repetti was born on August 15, 1872, in Cabella Ligure, Genoa. His father died when he was three years old and he and his five sisters were raised by their mother alone. At the age of 13 he entered the minor seminary of the Order at Borgo a Buggiano, Italy. Having made his novitiate at Carpineto Romano, he professed vows as a member of the Ligurian Province of the Order, and solemn vows on August 15, 1892. He studied for a time at the Collegio Santa Monica in Rome, but later, because of poor health, had to return to Tuscany to complete his work. He was ordained priest on Holy Saturday, March 30, 1895.

Father Repetti was assigned first as assistant pastor at the Church of La Consolazione in Genoa, and then was sent to Savona, and afterwards to Celle Ligure. Together with Father Angelo Caruso and Brother Bernardino Falconi he travelled to the United States in January, 1898, to open a new mission in the city of Philadelphia. The three friars lived for a short time in a rented house on 9th Street and then after at 819 Christian Street. Father Repetti purchased and converted the former Saint Paul School into a chapel, and established there the Parish of Our Mother of Good Counsel. Archbishop Ryan granted the parish boundaries on February 1, 1899 and entrusted its care to the Augustinians, naming Father Repetti its first pastor.

Father Repetti was taken seriously ill with typhoid fever and was rushed to Jefferson Hospital where he died on August 2, 1899 at the age of 27. His body was laid to rest in a vault in front of the church where it remained until July 31, 1956 when it was transferred to Saint Mary's Cemetery, East Vineland, New Jersey. 
 

William J. Reilly, O.S.A.

1885 – 1925 (March 8)

William Joseph Reilly, son of William Reilly and Maria Reilly, was born on April 11, 1885, and baptized on April 19th in the parish of Saint Peter, Staten Island, New York. He was confirmed on April 27, 1897, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Staten Island, by Archbishop John M. Farley. He attended Augustinian Academy as a member of its first graduating class in 1903, and was the first alumnus to join the Province. William entered the novitiate at Villanova on July 3, 1904, professed simple vows on July 4, 1905 and made solemn profession three years later. In 1909, he was transferred to Saint Rita High School, Chicago, Illinois, where he completed his studies and began teaching. William was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1910, by Most Rev. James E. Quigley, D.D., Archbishop of Chicago, at the Cathedral of the Holy Name.

Father Reilly's first assignment was to the Parish of Saint James Minor, Carthage, the oldest Catholic Parish in Northern New York. He also served in Lawrence, Massachusetts, taught at Saint Rita High School, Chicago and, on June 30, 1915, he was assigned to the original Augustinian Academy at Austin Place, Staten Island. In 1918, he was appointed its president. In June, 1919, the Province Definitory authorized that the Academy at its original site at Austin Place be closed. Shortly, thereafter, it was relocated on Grymes Hill, Staten Island.

Father Reilly returned at vice-rector of the new Academy in 1923, and died there on March 8, 1925, at the age of 40. He is buried in the community cemetery at Villanova, Pa. 

James S. Reilly, O.S.A.

1903 – 1981 (June 4)

James Samuel Reilly was born December 8, 1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Edward F. Reilly and Mary Jane Mason. He was baptized December 27, 1903 at Annunciation BVM Church, Philadelphia, and was confirmed April 19, 1911 at St. Monica Church, Philadelphia. Upon graduation in 1921 from Roman Catholic High School, Philadelphia, James began undergraduate collegiate studies at Temple University, Philadelphia, in preparation for his work in the field of accounting and real estate. He entered the Augustinian formation program in 1927 at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, and was received into the novitiate on September 8, 1928. He professed simple vows on September 10, 1929 and solemn vows on September 10, 1932. He completed his college studies, earning a B. A. in Philosophy from Villanova College, Villanova, Pennsylvania, in 1932, and then pursued theological studies from 1932 to 1936 at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 11, 1935.

After serving briefly during 1936 as Assistant Pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish, Hoosick Falls, New York, Father Reilly was named Master of Professed at St. Mary's Hall, Villanova. In 1938 he became Procurator at Villanova College. In 1941, Father Reilly began a long career in parish ministry. He served as Assistant Pastor at St. Denis Parish, Havertown, Pa, from 1941 to 1959; at St. John the Baptist Parish, Schaghticoke, N. Y., from 1959 to 1961, and St. Joseph Parish, Greenwich, N. Y. from 1961 to 1962.

In 1962 he was affiliated to the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, and was assigned as Assistant Pastor at St. Augustine Church, Detroit, Michigan. He served as prior at Augustinian Academy, St. Louis, Missouri in 1964 and 1965, and as prior at Tolentine College, Olympia Fields, Illinois, for a short time in 1965. In that year he was elected Econome General of the Order, and served in that office until 1967, when he tendered his resignation. Upon his return from Rome, Father Reilly served briefly as Pastor of St. Gregory Parish, Galt/Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. In 1968 he was named prior of the Augustinian Provincialate, Evanston, Illinois. Later in 1968 he was transferred to St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic Parish, Grosse Pointe Park, MI., where he was prior until 1971. He remained there until 1972, when he retired to St. Thomas of Villanova Monastery, Villanova. He died there June 4, 1981.

Father Reilly was a friendly and pastoral man. He is buried in the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. 

John P. Reidy, O.S.A.

1910 – 1968 (October 9)

John Patrick Reidy was born on March 17, 1910 in Staten Island, New York to Michael J. Reidy and Margaret F. Brophy. He was baptized on March 27, 1910 at St. Columba Catholic Church, New York, New York, and received the Sacrament of Confirmation on May 16, 1922 at St. John Baptist de la Salle Catholic Church, Stapleton, S.I. After completing his high school studies, John was received into the novitiate on September 8, 1927. He professed simple vows on September 9, 1928, and solemn vows on September 8, 1931.  He earned a B.A. in Philosophy from Villanova College, Villanova, Pennsylvania, in 1932. He then pursued theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C., where he was ordained to the priesthood on June 11, 1935, at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He did additional studies at the Catholic University of America, Washington.

Father Reidy was assigned to serve as Assistant Pastor at St. Clare of Montefalco Parish, Chicago, in 1936. From 1942 to 1962 he was stationed at St. Rita Parish, Chicago. He was a member of the Province Council from 1947 to 1952. In 1962, Father Reidy was appointed Assistant Pastor of St. Mary Parish, Rockford, Illinois, where he also served as prior of the Augustinian Community. He returned to St. Rita Parish, Chicago, in 1968 as Assistant Pastor and prior.  Just a few months after his return, he died of a heart attack on October 9, 1968.  

Father Reidy is buried in the Augustinian plot at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois.

Leo J. Reichart, O.S.A.

1884 – 1979 (January 26)

Leo James Reichart, son of August Reichart and Catherine Wummer, was born in Bally, Pennsylvania on February 22, 1884. His primary education was obtained at Blessed Sacrament Parochial School in his native town. After having worked for a while as a tailor, he enrolled at the Augustinian Preparatory Scholasticate, Saint Rita Hall, Villanova, in 1903. Received as a novice on July 4, 1907, he professed simple vows on July 6, 1908, and solemn vows on October 18, 1911. He began his college education at Villanova in 1907, but was sent to Rome in 1908, to pursue philosophical and theological training at Saint Monica's International College. He was ordained to the priesthood at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Rome, on July 25, 1913, and offered his first Mass at the Tomb of Saint Monica in Saint Augustine Church there the following day.

Upon his return to the United States, Father Reichart taught Latin at Villanova for a year, and then was named assistant pastor at Our Mother of Consolation Parish, Chestnut Hill, on June 20, 1914. Very shortly therafter, he was transferred on October 30, 1914 to Saint Rita Parish, South Philadelphia where he served the people and the Order uninterruptedly for the next 54 years - as curate, prior of the community, pastor, and definitor of the province.

The record of Father Reichart's apostolate at Saint Rita's is not so much to be found in the church he renovated, both upstairs and down, nor in the school he built, in the many social services he brought to the parish, nor in the societies he fostered, the devotions he sponsored, in particular, the novena prior to the feast of Saint Rita, or the awards he received - all this he himself recorded in his personal data sheet laconically: "Bought a piece of land. Built a new school." Rather his priestly service is inscribed in the hearts of the thousands of people he touched and the Augustinians who labored with him.

Father Reichart was primarily a man of prayer. The people of the parish knew well the fervor with which he celebrated Mass; his confreres knew the hours he spent in prayer every day, in the community chapel, on his knees before the Blessed Sacrament. While he was a man of sacrifice, penance, self-denial, most memorable were his smiling face and friendly manner. He loved people. No one was ever turned away. He was never too busy, never too tired. His devotion to the sick is legendary. Unforgettable was the familiar sight of Father Reichart, head bowed, stole around his shoulders, walking the streets of the parish, taking the Blessed Sacrament to the sick in their homes. It was the only time this most gregarious of men did not greet anyone he passed. Every evening before going to bed he went about the community saying to his brothers: "Buon riposo, buon riposo."

Even in retirement at the age of 84, Father Reichart continued for yet another nine years in his ministry, at full pace, until ill health required his taking residence at the Villa of Divine Providence, Lansdale, in 1977. There Father Reichart died on January 26, 1979, at the age of 95. His Funeral Mass was celebrated at Saint Rita Church, after which he was buried in the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, PA.

John J. Regnery, O.S.A.

1880 – 1954 (June 28)

John Joseph Regnery was born in Locust Gap, Pennsylvania on February 19 1880, to Michael Regnery and Christina Spaeder. He entered Villanova College and later studied at Saint Vincent's College in Westmoreland County, PA. In 1899, he entered the novitiate at Villanova, PA, and was ordained to the priesthood in Saint Charles' Seminary in Overbrook by Archbishop Patrick Ryan on May 28, 1904.

Father Regnery served in our parishes in Lawrence, MA; Havana, Cuba; Chicago, IL, and in New York State at Carthage, Hoosick Falls, Schaghticoke, Cambridge and Troy. In 1916, he became a member of the Province Mission Band, and its rector from 1918 to 1922. In that latter year he was appointed prior and pastor at Saint Augustine Parish in Philadelphia, PA. In 1926 he was assigned the same duties at Saint Clare Parish in Grosse Point, MI, in 1930 at Our Mother of Good Counsel Parish in Bryn Mawr, PA, and in 1938 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Staten Island, NY. In 1944, Father Regnery was appointed prior and pastor of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish, Jamaica, NY, and in 1950 he became prior at Saint Denis in Ardmore, PA. At the death of Father Murtaugh, pastor of Saint Denis in 1951, Father Regnery was assigned the duty of pastor as well.

Father Regnery was 74 when he died of cancer in Philadelphia's Fitzgerald-Mercy Hospital on Monday evening, June 28, 1954. The Funeral Mass was offered on Friday, July 2nd, at Saint Denis by the Prior General, Father Engelbert Eberhard, O.S.A. Father Stephen Lanen, rector of the Mission Band, preached the homily. Father Regnery was buried in the Community Cemetery at Villanova.

William J. Regan, O.S.A.

1879 – 1912 (December 21)

William James Regan, son of Francis Regan and Maria Davis, was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on October 6, 1879. He was baptized in the Cathedral of St. Mary, Halifax, on October 21, 1879. William began his education at the school of St. Mary, Halifax, and after five and a half years, transferred to LaSalle Academy, then to St. Joseph Normal School, followed by his acceptance into the novitiate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. He remained with that religious community for ten years, eight of which he taught at the Brothers' school, Manhattan College, on Second Street, New York. William had received a varied education including Physics, Physiology, School Management, History, and Advanced Drawing.

On June 25, 1906, William applied for entrance into the Order. Apparently, his letter of request was lost, for on August 16, 1906, he made another request from his mother's home on West Third Street, South Boston, Massachusetts. Shortly after that he was accepted as a candidate during the provincialate of Father Martin J. Geraghty, O.S.A. He entered the novitiate on December 8, 1907, made his first profession of vows on December 9, 1908, and solemn vows on December 9, 1911. On June 1, 1912, he was ordained to the diaconate by Archbishop Prendergast at the Philadelphia Cathedral, and received his first assignment on August 28th to Saint Rita High School, Chicago, Illinois, together with Joseph Kepperling. 

William Regan he died at the age of 33, on the evening of Saturday, December 21, 1912, of acute Bright’s disease at Saint Bernard Hospital, Chicago. A Requiem Mass was offered at Saint Rita Church, Chicago, on Thursday, December 26, 1912, after which prior James Greeen, O.S.A. accompanied the body to Villanova, where Prior Provincial Martin Geraghty, O.S.A. was celebrant of the funeral rites. William Regan was buried in the Community Cemetery atVillanova.
 

Robert E. Regan, O.S.A.

1908 – 1982 (August 7)

Robert Edward Regan, son of William J. Regan and Sara F. Sullivan, was born at Tompkinsville, Staten Island, on May 27, 1908, and was baptized by Father John Barthouski, O.S.A., at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish. His grammar school education was obtained at Saint Peter parochial school and at Saint John. He was a member of the first class to enter the revived Augustinian Academy, Austin Place, in 1921, and a member of the last class to graduate from there in 1925. Received into the Augustinian Order on August 15, 1925, he was a pioneer of the first class at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York. He professed first vows on August 16, 1926 and solemn vows on August 16, 1929. At Villanova, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1930 and also completed a year and a half of theology. His theological training was completed at Augustinian College, Washington, DC, where he was ordained at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on June 14, 1932. The next year, 1933, the degree of Master of Arts in Religious Education was conferred on him by Catholic University.

While teaching homilectics at Augustinian College, from 1933 to 1950, he attended classes at Catholic University where he was awarded a lectorate in theology in 1938 and a doctorate summa cum laude in 1941. His dissertation, Professional Secrecy in the Light of Moral Principles, was subsequently published. Father Regan taught homilectics at Catholic University during the 1939-1940 school year, and religion in the summer school and Saturday sessions at Villanova from 1938 to 1950. Transferred to Villanova in 1950, he taught theology and was chairman of the Department for five years. During all these years he was constantly in demand as a preacher at first Masses, funerals of the friars, graduations, retreats, special lectures and conferences.

Father Regan was assigned to his home parish, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Staten Island, as pastor and prior in 1962. To him fell the privilege of originating and completing a new church and friary. In 1968 he was named assistant pastor at Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, Bronx, New York, and, in 1971 was assigned in the same role to Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, Jamaica. He retired in 1974 and remained there in residence. He had the joy of celebrating the golden anniversary of his ordination with two of his classmates, Fathers Richard Plunkett and John Dunne, just two months before his death on August 7, 1982.

An indefatigable laborer in many phases of the vineyard of the Lord, Father Regan was an accomplished speaker and a perceptive reader of astonishing speed. Ever ready to entertain with his rich baritone voice, his infectious bonhomie and proficiency at the keyboard made him welcome at any gathering. Erudite, dignified, proper, warmhearted, he was preeminently an Augustinian priest.

Following his Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Staten Island, Father Regan is buried in the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.