Bert
We called him Bert,
the local crew of confreres,
to bring him back to life for real
after weeks of adulation
and pampering from Christian Mothers
who whispered with reverence
his name in full:
Father Bertin Roll,
the national director
of the Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers.
If Bert were a salesman,
he would have carried
top honors every month.
He recorded 3000 miles in driving
each month,
addressing parish women's groups,
convincing them of the spiritual benefits
of the Christian Mothers Archconfraternity,
the mothers praying for one another,
and always for the children, and often,
determined that prayer and example
would imprint what God was making available.
That was Bert's world
for 60 years and a little more,
forever living at St. Augustine Friary
in Pittsburgh,
and then he parked his car,
knelt back,
and prepared the books for the Lord's audit.
His birthday rang in the 90s,
on to 98,
the oldest age achieved
by a friar of the province,
with loyalty and perseverance
and eager devotion
to the Capuchin Order and the Church.
Bertin had no need to give up wealth
in making consecrated life his choice,
but he was obliged to turn his back
on a chance to make the big leagues
in baseball.
All life long he followed each game
with the zeal of a coach,
including ones out West,
which often dragged past bedtime,
yet Bert was there for morning prayer.
Of all his athletic accomplishments,
the one he indulged was golf,
with clubs kept handy as he traveled,
and Bert could claim a pro's score
for most of his golfing years.
Unrecorded and unofficial,
the best of Bert
was his daily compassion:
a pleasant 'how are you feeling'
for a confrere
just come home from hospital;
'what are you working on?,'
to a student friar;
and a casual
'you look nice and happy today,'
to a woman visiting the friary;
and always a word of interest,
or a story,
about a priest he met on his travels,
as he mooched a place to sleep
from rectories across the country.
The good of people
was Bert's main hobby
and constant exercise.
January 6, 2015
Bonaventure Stefun, OFM Cap.
Fr. Phil Fink, 1950-2015
Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, PA
Investiture: August 22, 1970
Temporary Profession: August 25, 1971
Perpetual Profession: June 18, 1974
Ordination: August 27, 1977
Date of death: April 11, 2015
Burial: St. Augustine Cemetery,
Millvale, PA
"Philip is a tremendous team man.
Philip is capable in so many areas that it was hard to choose
how best to use his talents and not wear him out."
Fr. Patrick Toomey, Washington Theological Union, August 24, 1974
Our brother, Philip Fink, OFM Cap., went to the Lord on April 11, 2015, at St. Augustine Friary in Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh), PA, at the age of 65. To say he was gone "too soon" would sound like a cliché. His enormous contributions to our Province's history were to excede those of many other friars granted more years of life.
Fr. Charles Knoll, 1927-2015
Place of Birth: Chicora, PA
Investiture: July 13, 1948
Temporary Profession: July 14, 1949
Perpetual Profession: July 14, 1952
Ordination: June 5, 1954
Date of death: March 8, 2015
Burial: St. Mary Cemetery, Herman, PA
"It is my personal feeling
that we should recognize
the special gifts that God gives our men
and not frustrate their cultural leanings
when these can be employed
in the service of the Church."
Fr. Giles Staab, OFM Cap.
May 5, 1962
Talented. Creative. Gifted. Inquisitive. Quiet. Impulsive. Confusing. Caring. Sensitive.
All these words were applied to our brother Charles Knoll at one time or another. "Misunderstood" comes to mind as well "“ but aren't all creative and talented people misunderstood at some time or another? They don't quite fit into the box of most people's expectations, and Charles certainly felt himself "misunderstood." A brilliant musician, he tried to convince a Provincial and his Council in 1959 that a pipe organ would be the best investment for the novitiate chapel in Annapolis, MD. The Council, of course, thought it would be impractical and expensive. "Charlie" was unable to conceive that others could possibly value practicalities like money or budgets over what far transcended them: art, beauty and goodness.
Fr. Bernard Finerty, 1935-2015
Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, PA
Investiture: July 13, 1955
Temporary Profession: July 14, 1956
Perpetual Profession: July 14, 1959
Ordination: June 3, 1961
Date of death: January 23, 2015
Burial: St. Augustine Cemetery, Millvale, PA
even as early as high-school,
I envisioned preaching
as the core of my ministry."
Letter to Provincial Minister
November 29, 1989
At the funeral of Bernard Finerty, Fr. Tom Betz, OFM Cap., a friend and former student, made the observation that what struck him about the life of our confrere was that from everywhere he was stationed in his life as a Capuchin, the "Province pulled out." It was an exaggeration, of course. The places did not come crashing down like dominoes.
"Bernie" spent a good 24 years of his life in Herman, PA, before our high school and college were closed. He stayed there for 11 years as Director of the Retreat Center, trying to build a retreat ministry in a rural area; it ended only when the property was sold, of course.
Fr. Bertin Roll, 1916-2015
Date of birth: October 5, 1916
Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, PA
Investiture: July 13, 1936
Temporary Profession: July 14, 1937
Perpetual Profession: July 14, 1940
Ordination: May 28, 1942
Date of death: January 5, 2015
Burial: St. Augustine Cemetery, Millvale, PA
I've worn out some automobiles
and many more Guardian Angels.
God has been so good to me.
Who has it better than I do? Nobody!
the local crew of confreres,
to bring him back to life for real
after weeks of adulation
and pampering from Christian Mothers
who whispered with reverence
his name in full:
Father Bertin Roll,
the national director
of the Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers.
Thus began the tribute to our confrere by Fr. Bonaventure Stefun, OFM Cap., written on his hearing of the death of our brother "Bert." National Director was Bertin Roll's job title and his life's work. Except for the 26 years necessary to grow up, go to school, join the Capuchin Order and become a priest, Bertin pretty much lived to work for the Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers, the longest term of any friar in any one ministry: 61 years, finishing off with another 10 years as Director Emeritus. Could any friar ever have been assigned to one friary for so many years? After 71 years in a ministry, how did he remain so committed and enthusiastic?
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