Submitted by: Dan Rich

Rev. Herman R. Reith, C.S.C.

Aug. 14, 1915 - July 7, 2006

South Bend Tribune 7/9/2006

Fr. Herman Reith passed away early in the morning of July 7, 2006, in Holy Cross House on the campus of his beloved Notre Dame. He was nearly 91 years old, a Holy Cross religious for 72 years and a priest for 64. Fr. Herman R. Reith, C.S.C., was born to Joseph and Ida (Liebich) Reith on August 14, 1915, in Kokomo, Indiana. He attended St. Joan of Arc grade school and two years of high school at St. Patrick, both in Kokomo. His last two years of high school were at Holy Cross Seminary, Notre Dame. He graduated in 1932.

After a year of further study he entered St. Joseph's Novitiate at Notre Dame in July 1933. Before profession the entire novitiate was moved to Rolling Prairie and it was there, on August 16, 1934, that Fr. Reith made his first vows. After two years at Notre Dame he went to Rome and studied philosophy at the Gregorian receiving a PhB in 1938. Moving to Holy Cross College in Washington, D.C., for theology he received an STB in 1940 and was ordained to the priesthood at Sacred Heart Church, Notre Dame, on June 24, 1942.

Fr. Reith's first assignment was to study philosophy at Notre Dame. After earning a master's degree in 1944 he began doctoral studies at Laval University in Quebec, receiving his doctorate in 1945. Until moving to Holy Cross House in December 2001, Fr. Reith spent 56 years doing what he most loved to do: teaching philosophy. He taught at Notre Dame and resided at Moreau Seminary from 1945 until 1949 when he moved to the University of Portland. He taught and served as department chair at Portland until 1951. In 1951, Fr. Reith returned to the University of Notre Dame where he taught philosophy and served as chair of the department. During this period he resided at Moreau Seminary.

From 1967-69, and again from 1973-74, he taught philosophy at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. He also taught at the National Seminary in Dacca, Bangladesh, from 1977-79. During the other years of that period he taught at the University of Notre Dame until retirement in 1994.

Not one to sit around, Fr. Reith taught philosophy at Our Lady of Corpus Christi College in Corpus Christi, Texas, during spring semesters and was much sought after as a spiritual director and mentor for many monastic communities.

A self-taught artist, he would paint and sculpt in his spare time and was a lifelong golfer, hiker and fisherman. A superb athlete in is younger days, Fr. Reith was known as a fierce competitor, especially in handball. Fr. Reith was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Ida (Liebich) Reith. He is survived by a brother, John Reith of Wilmington, DE, and some nieces and nephews.

Viewing will be held for Fr. Reith in the chapel of Moreau Seminary, University of Notre Dame, on Monday, July 10th, from 3:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a wake service at 7:30 p.m. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame, on Tuesday, July 11th, at 3:30 p.m. Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Memorial contributions to support the mission and ministries of the Holy Cross Fathers may be made to: Priests of Holy Cross, Indiana Province, Office of Development, P.O. Box 765, Notre Dame, IN 46556.