Father Robert Rogalski, C.P., Holy Cross Province (1930-1987)

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Born on June 10, 1930 in Chicago, he graduated from St. Constance School in 1944. That same year he began studies for the diocesan priesthood at Quigley North Preparatory Seminary, Chicago. Upon graduation in 1949 he entered St. Mary of the Lake Seminary at Mundelein, Illinois. After three years he graduated with a BA in Philosophy and English in 1952. While there he read an article in Review for Religious that was written by Father Fidelis Rice, C.P. When he went to the Passionist monastery on Harlem Avenue, Chicago to find out more about the Passionists he met Father Barnabas Ahern, C.P. A short time later he decided to enter the Passionist novitiate at St. Paul, Kansas. He professed his vows on August 1, 1953. Studies followed in Chicago from 1953 until 1955 and Louisville from 1955 until 1957. He was ordained in Louisville on May 25, 1957. After a year of sacred eloquence in Sierra Madre, California he became professor of philosophy and ethics in the Chicago Passionist Monastery. From 1959 until 1962 Father Rogalski pursued philosophy and social sciences at Laval University, Quebec City, Canada, sociology at the University of Minnesota and at the University of California, Berkley, California where he received a M.A. in sociology. He specialized in marriage and family, youth, religion and psychology. In 1962 he returned to Chicago to once again teach ethics, sociology, economics, and psychology. During this period until 1966 he did extensive apostolic work, especially1987- in conducting retreats for high school seniors, college seniors, student nurses in the Midwest and was very active with the Pre-Cana Conference in Chicago. From 1966 until 1969 he taught at the Passionist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky and also taught at Bellarmine College, Ursuline College and Catherine Spalding College, all of which were in Louisville. He also gave courses on medical ethics at St. Joseph Hospital and St. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital. In the summer of 1967 he traveled to Rome to work on the questionnaire in preparation for the Extraordinary Passionist General Chapter. From 1969 until 1979 he resided once again at the Passionist Monastery in Chicago. He taught sociology at Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois from 1969 until 1971 and at St. Francis College, Joliet, Illinois from 1969 until 1971. He was chairman of the sociology department at Illinois Benedictine College in Lisle, Illinois from 1970 until 1979. He was active in the peaching ministry and Pre-Cana conferences in the diocese of Joliet, as well as marriage and family counseling. He was elected to the Passionist province senate and was a delegate to several provincial chapters. Father Rogalski was also chaplain for the Irish Christian Brothers’ House of Formation in Romeoville, Illinois from 1969 until 1980. From 1980 until his death in 1987 he resided at the Detroit, Michigan monastery and was associated with Madonna College, Livonia, Michigan where he taught in the religious studies department and was a counselor and campus minister as well as a part time preacher of parish missions.