Born Leo Theodore Lummer on April 11, 1871 in Penworthan, South Australia, he was the son of Herman Lummer and Rosalie Wiekert. When he was twenty-six he sailed to England. He professed his Passionist vows on July 22, 1898 and received the religious name Reginald. He was ordained a priest on December 20, 1902. He worked in Australia preaching missions and retreats until 1916. The World War I conflict led him to come to the United States. He arrived on September 14, 1916 in Los Angeles, California. He stayed at the Roslyn Hotel there and then proceeded to San Diego, California to see the area. Eventually he made his way to the east coast where he became a member of the eastern province. For seven years he was a very active preacher of missions as well as a preacher in the Brighton, Massachusetts retreat house. In 1923 he became a United States citizen but at the same time returned to Australia where he had been elected as superior of the Passionist community in Goulborn. He traveled by train from New York to Vancouver, British Columbia and then on to Australia. A short time later he was named Master of Novices in Australia. After fulfilling that responsibility he stayed as a preacher in Australia and then in February 1935 returned to the United States where he conducted a laymen’s retreat at Sierra Madre. After that he was a preacher on the west coast. He also lectured a great deal about Australia. For example, he gave a talk, “A Voice From Australia,” in June 1935 in Marshalltown, Iowa. His papers showed that he was interested in numerous topics of the day such as the labor issue, birth control, spiritualism. He was an ardent foe of communism. He had a love for poetry. In his later years some of this excitement for travel and preaching might have been hard to detect as he was more reserved. Part of this was due to health. He received permission to say Mass while sitting down.
Birth Date:
April 11, 1871
Profession Date:
July 22, 1898
Ordination Date:
December 20, 1902
Death Date:
February 27, 1959