Submitted by: Dan Rich

Rev. Joseph A. Rogusz CSC

Jan. 6, 1920 - July 17, 2004

South Bend Tribune 7/20/2004

Fr. Joseph A. Rogusz, CSC, 84, was born on the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6, 1920, in Chicago, Ill., to the late Francis and Rosalie (Dadej) Rogusz. His first 12 years of schooling were at Holy Trinity under the direction of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and the Holy Cross Brothers. While in grade school he enjoyed serving at Mass and a variety of other church devotions. Often he helped out with scrubbing the sacristy floors and decorating the altars. Fr. Rogusz said that his one ambition as a young boy and as a teenager was to become a priest.

In 1938 Fr. Rogusz was a candidate for Holy Cross at Notre Dame, and then spent a year at the Novitiate in Rolling Prairie, Ind. On Aug. 16, 1939, he made his first vows and returned to Moreau to complete his collegiate education. In 1942 he went to the Foreign Missions Seminary in Washington, D.C.

After ordination on June 24, 1946, Fr. Rogusz served as assistant at St. Hedwig parish in South Bend, Ind., and was also religion teacher and athletic director at the old South Bend Catholic High School. After this he moved across town to St. Stanislaus parish for three years. During this time he struck a friendship with Fr. Michael Mathis whose interest in the young priest would result in Fr. Rogusz's later interest and work in the area of liturgy. In 1953 he was chaplain at Gilmour Academy to the brothers and students. From 1954 to 1955 he served in the same capacity at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. During the summer of 1955, at the request of Fr. Mathis, director of the Summer Liturgy Program at Notre Dame, Fr. Rogusz became his full-time secretary and full-time student. Toward the end of the summer he was assigned as confessor and teacher at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Jordan, Minn., until 1962 when he moved to Moreau Seminary.

During the next three years Fr. Rogusz taught Gregorian Chant at Moreau, Holy Cross Seminary, and at St. Joseph Hall. The next year he was chaplain to the Marianite Sisters of Holy Cross in Princeton, N.J. Following a year at Holy Cross House, he spent from 1966 to 1969 at Gibault School for Boys in Terre Haute, Ind. Then he served in the parish of his youth, Holy Trinity in Chicago, from 1969 to 1975.

From 1977 to 1982 he was chaplain at Holy Cross High School in River Grove, Ill., followed by six years of service to the community as librarian at Moreau Seminary while residing at Holy Cross House. In 1988 he moved to Ventura, Calif., to serve the Holy Cross Sisters as chaplain at St. Catherine-by-the-Sea. Fr. Rogusz took up residence at Holy Cross House in 1994, and resumed his work at the Moreau Library.

Fr. Rogusz was preceded in death by his parents, Francis and Rosalie (Dadej) Rogusz; and his sister, Alice Barnet. He is survived by his sister, Clara Michno; nieces, Dorothy Michno, Dolores Vonderheide and Loretta Wenc; and nephews, Richard Barnet, Warren Davee and Leonard Michno.

Viewing will be held for Father Rogusz in the chapel of Moreau Seminary, Notre Dame, today, July 20, from 3:30 p.m. to 9 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 Wednesday, July 21, at 10 a.m. The Kaniewski Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.