By Lois Rogers | Features Editor
and Mary Stadnyk | News Editor

In the days following his March 4 death, Bishop John Charles Reiss was remembered by clergy, religious and lay faithful who worked with him and for him for his great kindness, goodness to and appreciation of others,  profound competence, clear-eyed vision and yes…his keen sense of humor.

They recalled his gift for making the most of the simple things in life – meals in good company, taking on DYI projects around the family homestead in Red Bank, sharing visits with his sister, Mercy Sister Mary Charitina. All were mentioned as things he loved to do.

Most of all, they recalled his gift of sure and certain faith – the true hallmark, they said, of his vocation—inextricably woven into the fabric of his existence.

Taken as a whole, these gifts were part and parcel of what he once described as “the wonderful blessings” of his life.

 It  was Bishop Reiss himself, speaking at the magnificent celebration of the Mass that marked the 50th anniversary of his ordination in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, June 8, 1997, who recited a litany of those “wonderful blessings: wonderful parents, brothers and sisters, cousins by the dozens, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. To me they symbolize the fact that one person alone doesn’t accomplish anything.

“It’s family,” he continued, “it’s community, it’s the parish,” he said that day. “It’s people all working together to spread the message of Christ.

Because of those blessings, he said, “I have tried all my life,” he said that day, “to walk in line with the Lord.”

And then, he added with his trademark impish smile: “Like the great Bishop Sheen said, if I had it to do, I’d do it all over again.”

The Bishop of Trenton

Bishop Reiss got two standing ovations that day from the standing-room only crowd and eyewitnesses recall that he seemed a bit unprepared and very moved by the outpouring of applause.

That reaction was quintessential Bishop Reiss according to long-time acquaintances including Msgr. Leonard F. Troiano, pastor of St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish, Lavallette, who held a number of executive positions under Bishop Reiss and U.S. Congressman Chris Smith who worked alongside him on pro-life issues and social justice projects.

Msgr. Troiano, who preached the homily at the Votive Mass of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest, March 8, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, described Bishop Reiss as “a local boy who came up through the whole system and reached a pinnacle he never aspired to.”

While he may never have sought his role as chief shepherd of a growing diocese, he “had this ability to look quietly and unassumingly into the future and take steps to make everything better,” Msgr. Troiano said. “In his quiet way, he was a visionary,” taking on numerous, complex projects that would secure the future of the diocese in ways that others might not have been able to envision back then.

“My relationship grew out of working with him,” Msgr. Troiano said. “We were never social friends. We never vacationed together. But over the years, there was a growing, mutual respect and trust between us. He put trust in me to accomplish some of the things he wanted done – the Fourth Synod of the diocese, the Faith and Service Campaign. These were major undertakings and he asked me to work with Auxiliary Bishop Kmiec to take on those responsibilities…”

Msgr. Troiano called Bishop Reiss “somebody I found easy to talk to. When I needed his direction, his insights and advice were good, sound common sense. He often drew on the wisdom of his parents – especially his father, who gave direction in that family.

“There was something very orderly and clear headed about (Bishop Reiss’) nature,” Msgr. Troiano said. “He was not quick to respond. He would respond in a methodical way with a lot of introspection before making a decision.

“On a personal level, he was so prayerful,” said Msgr. Troiano who noted that prayer was a very important part of his life. “When he rode in the car, he would quietly pray the Rosary throughout the ride or pray his breviary. He always kept a holy hour. He was really a man of prayer and common sense.”

The important part of his episcopacy, Msgr. Troiano said, was “his ability to maintain an orthodoxy, to make sure there wasn’t a shift away from the Church. That was one of the things that was of the utmost concern to him in those years because of the acceleration of change in society.

“He strove to maintain a solid foundation and make sure that the teaching of the Church in the spirit of Vatican II was followed.”

Just after the funeral mass for his longtime spiritual leader, Congressman Smith spoke of the bishop’s extraordinary kindness and his compassion toward the less fortunate and his cheerfully determined focus on social justice for them.

 “I worked very closely with Bishop Reiss and Msgr. William Fitzgerald (then diocesan chancellor) on  many projects including Cathedral Square,” the diocesan housing project for low and moderate senior citizens which borders St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Smith said.

Twice rejected for funding by top officials of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Bishop Reiss, “always the pastor,” according to Smith, persisted until he won the day for his urban flock, securing 100 units of housing for senior citizens and the disabled.

“Perhaps Cathedral Square ought to be renamed after him,” Smith said.

Bishop Smith and Bishop Kmiec Share Their Memories

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec was one of many who spoke of the strong support Bishop Reiss showed for his fellow priests.

Now the Bishop of the Buffalo, N.Y. Diocese, Bishop Kmiec, who was auxiliary bishop of Trenton under Bishop Reiss, recalled his late mentor and friend as “an approachable priest and a problem solver,” two attributes that were greatly appreciated, especially when someone made a mistake.

As he delivered the homily at Bishop Reiss’ funeral Mass, Bishop Kmiec  shared a story of when he had to “approach” Bishop Reiss over one of his own mistakes. At the time, Bishop Kmiec was a young parish curate (associate pastor) who, forgetting that weddings were not to be celebrated during the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent, inadvertently scheduled a wedding during Advent.

The young Father Kmiec “panicked” when he realized his mistake over the realization that his mishap could post a tremendous inconvenience to the engaged couple and their wedding plans.

Father Kmiec was advised by the parish pastor to “call Bishop Reiss” about his predicament. With trepidation, he called and was surprised by the response.

“Bishop Reiss said, ‘Eh, no problem. You can get a dispensation from that regulation. I’ll give you a verbal dispensation now. But send me a note and I’ll put (the dispensation) in writing. What Bishop Reiss did for me then, he did for hundreds of other priests,” said Bishop Kmiec, referring to the unwavering support and brotherly regard that Bishop Reiss showed the priests of the diocese.”

Bishop John M. Smith, who served as coadjutor bishop of the Trenton Diocese before succeeding Bishop Reiss, also spoke of the courtesy and care shown by his predecessor. “He was the most committed priest and dedicated pastor and gentleman,” said Bishop Smith. “I have no recollection whatever of him acting in a way you couldn’t be proud of.

“He was gentle but firm about the things you should be firm about. Anyone who knew him, knew he was a gentleman. When I arrived as coadjutor, he could not have been more gracious and more kind.”

Like Bishop Kmiec and Msgr. Troiano, Bishop Smith also spoke of his organizational gifts. “He dealt extraordinarily well with the dramatic demographic changes that took place during his episcopacy,” said Bishop Smith. “As the population shifted from the urban center of Trenton in the western portion of the diocese and the cities of northern New Jersey and the boroughs of New York, he saw change coming and he dealt with it.”

Fellow Priests, Religious Sisters and Laity Remember an Unassuming Spiritual Leader and Friend

“Humble and “pastoral” were attributes that Father Phillip C. Pfleger recalled about Bishop Reiss.

“He was truly a great bishop who cared about his priests,” said Father Pfleger, pastor of St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton, who served as director of the Diocesan Office of Vocations for eight years during Bishop Reiss’ episcopacy.

During those years, the Vocations Office was located in the “basement” of the Chancery, he recalled. “But anytime that I needed to speak with him and I would call up to his office, he would always say, ‘I’ll meet you at the top of the stairs. That’s the type of person he was.”

Father Pfleger also clearly remembered the day when Bishop Reiss asked him to become the founding pastor of a new parish to be built in the southern Burlington County municipality of Marlton.

Realizing the enormous responsibility that would be involved in becoming a founding pastor, Father Pfleger said he asked the bishop if he could have some time to “think and pray about it.”

“The bishop said ‘yes’ but he wanted my response ‘tomorrow,’” said Father Pfleger with a chuckle. “I had to think and pray very fast and God gave me the answer very fast. I told Bishop Reiss I would be honored to be the founding pastor and I thank him for that. It’s been a wonderful experience.”

Bishop Reiss’ abiding love for his family brought the Sisters of Mercy into close contact with the chief shepherd of the diocese for decades.

He frequently visited his sister, Mercy Sister Mary Charitina when she resided at the convent in St. James Parish, Red Bank and stopped by the family home where he grew up in that Monmouth County town.

Mercy Sister Donna M. D’Alia, Mercy Sister Mary Simon Robb and Mercy Sister Carole MacKenthum all remember the visits of a humble man who didn’t put on airs and enjoyed sitting down for a cup of coffee and some good conversation.

“This was a man who did not put on airs,” said Sister Donna, director of Religious Education in St. Rose Parish, Belmar. “He wasn’t one for big shows. When I lived in the same convent as Sister Charitina, he would come to see her and you didn’t have to roll out the red carpet for him. You didn’t have to have the finest food. He would sit at the table like everyone else.”

Sister Simon recalled how Bishop Reiss stopped by one Saturday night while she was cleaning the kitchen. “I opened the door and was shocked to find him standing there. I was very dressed down.”

She made a joke out of her appearance, referencing a popular television show of the day about a housekeeper named Hazel. “Oh, I’m being Hazel tonight,” she told him. “From then on, every time he saw me, he’d ask how Hazel was doing.”

Among the laity who helped him deal with the changing demographics of the diocese was  Rosemarie “Chick” McGinty, who had worked under Bishop George W. Ahr as associate director of the then diocesan Office of Religious Education.

McGinty became the first woman to head a diocesan office when Bishop Reiss named her director of the Office of Religious Education in 1988.

“Under his leadership, our catechist certification program was expanded and developed to include programs for adult religious education that were made easily available throughout the diocese,” said McGinty, who retired in 2003.

She noted that Bishop Reiss fostered the expansion of the diocesan program for the preparation and certification of lay parish personnel in the role of Administrator of Religious Education that eventually included catechumenate directors.

“He was a pleasure to work with,” she said. “He was always supportive and open for discussion. Even though many years have gone by since I’ve had contact with him, it’s sad to think he’s gone.”