Mona, members of the family, Archbishop Flynn, priests, deacons, vowed religious, dedicated staff and faithful laity of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, eminences and excellencies, ecumenical and interreligious representatives, civic dignitaries, and dear life long friends of Archbishop Roach, grace and consolation to you. The rite of Christian burial is meant to help us face the reality and the sadness of death. It also helps us express our tremendous gratitude to God for the gift of life this great man, Archbishop John Robert Roach. Finally, the rite strengthens our own Christian belief in the resurrection. St. Paul’s letter to the Romans reminds us that “through baptism we were buried with Christ so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.” We believe in Christ’s promise that our dear brother John Roach will rise again and that we will also rise with Christ in glory. We do want to see Christ and the power of his resurrection! Through baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist and the whole sacramental life of the Church, all of us are to be about God’s love, about Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, and about the mission and work of the Church here. That is what John Roach was about all his life, from the very beginning at his baptism in Prior Lake and then later as priest and as bishop. When he was installed as Archbishop here in this cathedral in 1975, he said: “In the midst of too much hate, too much suffering, too much injustice, and armed with confidence that the Spirit of the Lord is present to us, we must speak to this world of God’s love, justice, mercy and healing. We must voice the healing words of Jesus Christ to a people so desperately in need of healing. We must be God’s prophets, unworthy as we are … This, I believe, is the church’s work in this generation. That, I believe, is my work and your work.” Were his words not another way of saying the very beatitudes of Jesus Christ – to become poor in spirit, to stand with those discriminated against for whatever cause, to be with the sorrowing and those weeping, to be willing to be with the lowly at the bottom of life’s ladder, to help nourish the starving and the thirsty, also to be among those willing to show mercy, to be peacemakers, and to harbor those who are being persecuted for the sake of justice and righteousness. Those beatitudes of Christ became, I believe, John Roach’s daily examination of conscience and his own personal mode of living. The beatitudes are to be our way of living as well. He wrote: “That, I believe, is my work and your work.” Archbishop Roach deeply loved and believed in the communion which is the church. He worked hard so that the church would be everything that Christ wants it to be. He believed it to be the “People of God … centered in Christ, renewed in love … willing to share individual gifts through a diversity of ministries.” So he was not hesitant to challenge bishops to be strong, not fearful, willing to be even more vocal on all the issues impacting the church and our world today. He also encouraged and urged priests and those in ministry to be pastoral, holy in their own lives, loving and generous in serving the people. He called forth the laity to take their rightful places in the life of the church and to witness strongly to the faith. He put in place structures so that the voices and the witness of the women of the church would be recognized, heeded and respected. He always worked hard to make “plenty great room” for everyone in the church. The archbishop felt deeply that the church needed to be out in the thick of things, pushing the envelope, putting a human face on those beatitudes. He took Gaudium et Spes of the Second Vatican Council very seriously. “At all times the church carries the responsibility of reading the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel, if it is to carry out its task.” (No. 4) And so the archbishop kept standing up before the microphone locally and nationally, speaking and leading because that is where the church needed to be, in the midst of the challenges of the world, speaking for the social order. Whether it was about abortion or public housing, care of the handicapped, the economy, war and peace, respect for homosexuals, he believed the voice and presence of the church needed to be heard and seen for the sake of the moral order. “As church,” he wrote, “we cannot remain silent.” He was not silent! He was never afraid to speak and to lead, even when there was criticism or opposition. He did not cotton to cowering or intimidation! He did not even let his own weaknesses and faults deter or paralyze him. Rather he wound up using them to show forth God’s power and grace. John Roach never forgot where he came from. He wrote, “I grew up in a family that cared tremendously about what happened to me. My father was the most important model in my life … My mother was a teacher, and she never stopped teaching. She was tough when she needed to be tough and loving and forgiving when she needed to be … At the center of my life is my family. To grow up in a home where there is respect and love and decency and generosity and forgiveness, and indeed, discipline, is an extraordinary gift. I had it and I thank God for it.” As a result of his family, he spoke out strongly and worked hard for families in need, for the homeless standing in line at the Dorothy Day Center, for all the struggling single parents, and for children trapped in poverty. He fought always for greater opportunities for the young people in Catholic religious education programs and in the Catholic schools. He was proud of his years at Saint Thomas Academy and of his establishment of Saint John Vianney Seminary. The archbishop loved this archdiocese. He wrote, “I can honestly say there isn’t any other place I would rather have served as a bishop. I am proud to be a priest of this Archdiocese. I am proud to be your archbishop. I would have said yes to any other assignment … [But] It could never have been as good as this.” He also loved and thrived on his involvement with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He was forthright when he stood up to speak. He always addressed his brother bishops with integrity, clarity, strength, substance and with Irish humor. He had something to say and when he didn’t, he stayed seated. He was often impatient with our timidity because he always wanted bishops to be strong, at the cutting edge of the issues of the day, and holy for the church. He immensely enjoyed leading the Conference of Bishops those years. “In my better moments,” he wrote, “I even think I have made a contribution.” Here, in our own state, he was a leader in interreligious and ecumenical dialogue and interaction. Some time ago, the archbishop wrote surprisingly personal and poignant piece about holiness of life. “Spirituality affects every part of my life. I confess it’s easier for me to experience when I’m celebrating Eucharist at the Cathedral or in a parish … I know, though, that I have to bring that same spirituality to the many hours I spend each week in meetings, the time I spend reviewing budgets, the time I spend in gnawing pain as I review the case of a priest who has abused a child. I’ve learned that spirituality hasn’t a lot to do with being perfect. I have experienced God at His most powerful and in His greatest gentleness in the midst of my own sinfulness and my greatest weakness.” Archbishop Roach was a priest for 57 years, a bishop for 32 years. He reminisced in writing: “People frequently ask me why I became a priest … I wanted to be a priest; I’m glad I became a priest. Beyond that it’s all kind of a mystery … I’m glad I became a bishop and I think the hand of God was present in that process. It isn’t that I’ve done so well with it; it’s just that I don’t think I could have handled it without the Lord’s presence.” He was a priest and bishop for others; last March at the Little Sisters Home, he celebrated one last baptism, his grand nephew, Owen Isaac. Among those at his bedside when he died were the oldest priest of this archdiocese, Father Ed Greskowiak, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and Mona, his sister. Toward the end he said, “Mona, help me. I need to go home now!” Years earlier he had written: “Nothing on my tombstone would please me more than the simple inscription ‘He worked at being a priest.’” Archbishop, you have never needed our flattery. But we now want to add, “John Roach worked at being a priest. He worked at being our archbishop. He also worked at being our friend.” The sacraments of the church and the Scriptures are the door to life and to the kingdom of God. Living the beatitudes: that is the daily challenge! Archbishop Roach really believed in and lived the sacraments, the gospel of Christ and the beatitudes. Filled with hope in Christ, we pray now that our brother John will stand before the very face of our loving God, the Trinity, for all eternity, in the communion of saints. During this life, the archbishop was truly proven like gold in the furnace: He shone very brilliantly “like sparks through stubble.” Now as we celebrate the Eucharist we pray for his immortal soul. May Archbishop John Robert Roach rest in peace with God whom he loved and served so long and so well.
Editor’s note: This is the homily delivered by St. Cloud Bishop John F. Kinney at the July 16 funeral mass for Archbishop John F. Roach.
(Quotations from John R. Roach, “Reflections,” Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, October 14, 1993)
