Obituary of FATHER KARL JOHN ROESCH

The community of St. Mary's Abbey announces with sorrow the passing from this life of Father Karl John Roesch after a long illness, in the eighty-third year of his life, the sixty-third of his monastic profession, and the fifty-seventh of his priesthood. Father Karl was born in Newark, New Jersey to John and Mary Roesch on twenty-seven May, 1934 and christened John Junior in the Church of the Blessed Sacrament. John attended the parish school and later, graduated from Saint Benedict's Prep in 1951. It was here that he encountered the Benedictine monks of St. Mary's Abbey. Father Karl entered St. Vincent College, interrupting his course of studies by the year of novitiate as a Benedictine monk at St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, Kansas, where he pronounced monastic vows in 1954. He returned to St. Vincent where he graduated in 1956. He then began the study of theology at St. Mary's, Delbarton. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1960. Father Karl quickly became an integral figure at Delbarton School, serving at various times as prefect of boarding students, director of transportation, advanced placement coordinator, and coaching freshman football and varsity baseball. He chaired the committee that planned the renovation of St. Joseph Gymnasium and the new Abbot Brian Clarke Gymnasium. Meanwhile, he taught fulltime, having earned a master's degree in mathematics at the Catholic University of America. He was, however, about to begin a second career. In 1987, after almost thirty years of service in education at Delbarton, Father Karl accepted the call to assume the pastorate of the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Linden, New Jersey, then under the care of St. Mary's Abbey. Father Karl gave himself to the pastoral service of the people of Linden until 2000 when a new chapter in his life opened with an invitation to move south, to St. Mary Virgin Mother Parish in Hartsville, South Carolina. He embraced his new environment as pastor and accepted several posts in the Diocese of Charleston, which includes the entire state. Here he remained for sixteen more years until illness forced his retirement and return home. Fr Karl is survived by his nieces and nephews. John Rubin (Jane) of Lake Bluff IL, Neil Rubin (Chi) of Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Kerry Rubin of Florham Park NJ, Tara Rubin Roukey (Paul) of Abington MA. He also is survived by grand-nephews and nieces: Michael, Matthew Lauren, Nicholas, Sean, Connor and Owen. In lieu of flowers donations to the St Mary's Abbey Infirmary fund in Fr Karl's name would be appreciated.