Former Shepherd remembered

PATERSON  The Reception of the Body of Bishop Emeritus Rodimer, who died at 91 on Dec. 6, was held at 2 p.m. Dec. 14 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here. Msgr. Herbert Tillyer, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Church in Parsippany, presided at the Reception of the Body, meeting the late bishop’s body at the main doors of the cathedral on Main Street.

Msgr. Tillyer blessed the body of Bishop Rodimer with holy water. Pallbearers then brought the bishop’s body down the main aisle as the hymn “Jerusalem My Happy Home,” was sung by Ashleigh Guida, cantor, accompanied by Preston Dibble, diocesan director of music, on the organ.

Father Richard Bay, pastor of St. Simon Parish in Green Pond who served as Bishop Rodimer’s priest-secretary during the bishop’s retirement, then read the Scripture passage from the Book of Job.

During his remarks at the Reception of the Body, Msgr. Herbert Tillyer, who served as diocesan vicar general during Bishop Rodimer’s episcopate, said, “Bishop Rodimer has come to our cathedral for the final time.” Bishop Emeritus Rodimer was ordained to the priesthood in the cathedral on May 19, 1951 and on Feb. 28, 1978, was ordained and installed as the Sixth Bishop of the Diocese in the cathedral. Mentioning the significance of the cathedral, Msgr. Tillyer said, “This building, this whole block had a special meaning for his life and also the life of his family.”

Msgr. Tillyer shared how the Bishop’s death on Dec. 6 came just three days before the Diocese’s 81st birthday. “When we think of Bishop at his age of 91 and what was going on in 1937 on Dec. 9, a new diocese was born — the Diocese of Paterson. He was in the sixth grade in Rockaway in the middle of this Diocese at that time.”

Msgr. Tillyer also spoke about St Nicholas in his remarks, a favorite saint of Bishop Rodimer, who is the patron of bishops. “He died on a very interesting day: a great bishop, a great saint that he loved very dearly, on the Feast of St. Nicholas. For many years, he hosted all the bishops of New Jersey for their annual meeting in December and for a great celebration. I was just thinking that Archbishop Gerety and the other deceased bishops are saying ‘Now you join our party, up here. It’s much longer and it never stops.’”

He concluded his remarks by saying, “We come here to recognize where we are, this cathedral, his life and the connection of his life all through the 81 years of the life of the Diocese and we rejoice. We will pray for him, we will honor him, we will celebrate him. We, his family, his brother priests, his friends, his parishioners, members of the Diocese will give him over to the Lord. His life and the history of the Diocese will never, ever be repeated.”

Following the Reception of the Body, a viewing took place until 7 p.m. when an Evening Prayer service took place. Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Color Corps members stood watch during the viewing as a steady stream of priests, laity and religious paid their final respects to Bishop Emeritus Rodimer.

In the front pews were many of the members of Bishop Emeritus Rodimer’s family, who thanked those who came to celebrate the life of their brother and uncle. Also attending were diocesan priests, laypersons and religious from around the Diocese.

John Rodimer, Bishop Rodimer’s youngest brother, who lives in Rockaway, remembered his bishop-brother fondly. “He wanted to be a priest since he was seven years old. I remember when he was 14, our mother gave him a dictating machine and he would practice giving talks. At the time, I would get annoyed when he would stop and play them back over and over again but now, I just see how he felt that call to the priesthood at that age. He was great at giving sermons. He always stayed close to his family and he was very good to us. He’s certainly going to be missed.”

Also at the viewing were Deacon Joseph Puskas of St. Paul Parish in Clifton and his wife, Margie. Then-Msgr. Rodimer officiated at the couple’s wedding in St. Paul Church almost 50 years ago, when he served as pastor at St. Paul’s. As bishop, he would later ordain Deacon Puskas to the permanent diaconate in 1988.

The couple said, “He has always been like a great uncle to us. We have so many memories of him. We visited him a few months ago when he was at St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly (in Totowa) and he saw us coming at the doorway. He said, ‘Well look whose here.’ Our faces lit up.”