ST. CONRAD MESSENGER - FALL 2008 - VOL 4                                                                               

LOCAL CATHOLICS PRAISE EFFORTS OF CAPUCHIN FRIARS
Oct. 10, 2008 - St. Louis Review
by Jennifer Brinker, Review Staff Writer
Reproduced with permission of St. Louis Review

Catholics in the archdiocese who have come to know the Capuchin Franciscan friars recently shared their accolades and well wishes at the news of the friars’ impending departure.

Tom Milligan, who regularly attends Mass at the Shrine of St. Joseph and serves as volunteer there, said he is one of countless men and women who converted to Catholicism, thanks to the formation efforts of Father Valentine Young. Milligan’s conversion took place nearly a decade ago.

"We’ve been going here 20 or so years," said Milligan, whose wife, Donna, is a member of the Shrine of St. Joseph’s Friends board of directors. "When I started going here, Father Val converted me. He was real easygoing.

"Father Val is a real people person," he added. "He oversaw the work done here, but he let the board take care of it."

JoAnn Geisz, who coordinates weddings at the shrine and serves as a board member, highlighted Father Valentine’s ongoing outreach to those in need who regularly approached the rectory doorstep at St. Patrick Parish Downtown seeking assistance.

"Father’s a gem," she said. "He will really be missed. He’s been a good friend to all of us. We’ve known him for a long time."

Ralph Kannady, also a shrine board member, noted that Father Valentine "has participated in everything we did — picnics, festivals, volunteer dinners. He helped along with all of those things."

Howard Matthews, newsletter coordinator and shrine board member, recalled meeting a man who regularly rented a parking spot at St. Patrick during the St. Louis Rams’ football season. The church lot is across the street from the Edward Jones Dome.

"He said, I am not a Catholic, but if I was, (Father Valentine) is the kind of priest I’d like to have. He practices what he preaches," Matthews recalled the man saying.

He added that the priest also has a way with words. When approaching him to write an article for the shrine’s newsletter, Matthews said Father Valentine "boggled my mind" with his ability to quickly articulate thoughts and put them in written form. "This man has extraordinary talent."

Betty Kalein, who has volunteered as an office worker once a week at St. Patrick for several years, said the Capuchin priests "are the most entertaining, charming men that I have had the privilege of encountering.

"I have looked forward to coming on Tuesdays," she added. "They are a fun group and will be missed."

As dean of the North St. Louis Deanery, where the Capuchin friars have provided much of their service in the last 65 years, Msgr. Mark Ullrich said he observed the Capuchins have had "such a spiritual presence for people living and/or working Downtown."

"In particular, Father Valentine Young has done a remarkable job of spiritually supporting the Friends of the Shrine of St. Joseph over the past 25 years," said Msgr. Ullrich, pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Cross Parish in Baden. "We pray that the good Lord abundantly bless Father Val and the Capuchin Franciscans for their years of faithful service to North City."

Msgr. Dennis Delaney, pastor of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist Parish Downtown, called the departure of Fathers Canice Froehlich and Simon Conrad "sad news for the parish."

Since the closing of the Alverne Hotel Downtown in 1991, the two Capuchin friars have daily heard confessions and celebrated the 12:10 p.m. Mass Monday-Saturday at St. John.

In a letter to Father Charles Polifka, the Capuchins’ Provincial Minister, Msgr. Delaney noted that "Father Canice and Father Simon are renowned as confessors in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Their celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and their preaching, have been a great grace for me and for all who gather here. Their lived witness to (the Capuchins’) charism is an inspiration."

Msgr. Patrick Hambrough, pastor of St. Mark Parish in

At a glance: Capuchin Franciscans in St. Louis

Over the past 65 years, the Capuchin Franciscans have had 121 men serve in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Of that number, 97 were friars and 24 were postulants.

Capuchins who have ministered the longest in the archdiocese, and their years of service, include:

Fathers Valentine Young, 47; Canice Froehlich, 34; Simon Conrad, 29; Didacus Joseph Dunn, 27; Alvin Werth, 24; Simeon Gallagher, 23; Joseph Adams, 20; Christopher Rengers, 18; Earl Meyer, 17; Christopher Popravak, 15; Jeff Ernst, 15; John Schmeidler, 12; Ed Judy, 11; Gilmary Tallman, 11; and Blaine Burkey, 11; and Brother Benignus Scarry, 11.

Apostolates have included:

Administrators at St. Charles Borromeo, Shrine of St. Joseph and St. Patrick in Downtown St. Louis, St. Matthias in Lemay, St. Mark in Affton and Immaculate Conception in Arnold;

Chaplaincy at a former orphanage on Locust Street Downtown, Visitation Academy, Mercita Hall;

Chaplaincy and sacramental work at the Alverne Hotel in Downtown as well as administration of the Catholic Information Center;

Sacramental ministry at St. John the Apostle and Evangelist Parish Downtown;

Vocation directors;

Leaders of parish missions and retreats;

Spiritual assistance to the Secular Franciscan Order;

Teaching at Cardinal Ritter Prep High School and St. Louis University;

Assisting at Charles Lwanga Center;

Campus ministry at Washington University;

Internal formation programs;

Direction of Capuchin pageants;

Replacement ministry;

Directing the Capuchin Mission Association;

Culinary services at Dismas House;

Participation in Franciscan Connection housing aid service;

Assistance with archdiocesan Hispanic ministry;

Material assistance to poor in inner-city housing projects;

Research and writing.

Information was provided by Father Blaine Burkey, communications officer and archivist for the Capuchin Franciscans’ Mid-America Province.

Affton, noted that Capuchin Father Earl Meyer has been with the parish as an associate pastor since its beginnings in 2003.

"We’re going to miss him terribly," said Msgr. Hambrough. "He’s been a very valuable asset to the parish."

Father Meyer has been known for taking on extra Masses and taking on a regular schedule of hearing confessions and visiting the sick, said Msgr. Hambrough. The priest also has taught schoolchildren and served on the parish liturgy committee.

"Just this morning, for example, he was standing at the door as the kids arrived at school with a bowl of candy," said Msgr. Hambrough. "He does these things frequently.

He’s not gregarious by any means, but he’s very kind, very humble — and simple things like that the kids will remember.

"He teases people here with his support of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Pirates — he’s from Pittsburgh originally. When the Steelers won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, he had jerseys out in the back of church.

"That kind of stuff endeared him to people. We’re really going to miss him. He’s a really solid guy."

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