First Ordinand for SMA Fathers Since 1994

Priest from Bklyn Will Serve Africa

A Brooklyn man, Father Dermot Roache, will be the first newly ordained priest for the American province of the Society of African Missions in 15 years.

The ordaining prelate will be Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop Guy A. Sansaricq. The ordination will take place Saturday, Dec. 29, at noon in St. Anthony’s Chapel at the SMA provincial headquarters in Tenafly, N.J.

The son of John and Mary (Maureen) Roache of St. Anselm parish, Bay Ridge, Father Roache will celebrate his first Mass the following day at noon at his home parish in Brooklyn.

Father Roache

Father Roache, 36, will bring to his priestly ministry the experience of having taken his theology studies in Africa. He feels this has prepared him well for the difficult situations he may have to face in ministry in Africa.

His studies have never been just theory, but have come alive. “The approach to evangelization in Africa must be done in the frame of mind of the African people. I had to learn that you cannot bring a Brooklyn style of teaching, preaching and of saying Mass to a very rural African community. It just won’t work,” he says.

As he looks forward to his first priestly assignment in Kenya, he plans to utilize the SMA (from the Latin “Societas Missionum ad Afros”) approach of learning the local languages, traditions and ways of the people.

“We continuously apply our studies to the current and rapidly changing pastoral situations,” he says. “We are forced to make difficult decisions at times; we have no choice but to slow down, be patient and sometimes accept things as they are. I have been well prepared for future challenges,” he said.

Studied in Africa

Life as a student at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa: Tangaza College, located in a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya, has also given him the opportunity to work and grow with the future leaders of the Church of Africa.

“By establishing these relationships, I have been enriched in my understanding of the African cultures and mission and know that I have many connections for collaborative work in future years,” he explained.

Living at the SMA House of Studies in Kenya with colleagues from other parts of the world has also been challenging. “What may be a compliment in one culture can be an insult in another, and sometimes in communities like ours we learn the hard way!” he added.

During his training, he has had several internships. He was most struck by working with the street people, especially the young. “The reality of children in such huge numbers (tens of thousands nationwide) on the streets is unthinkable. Imagine not being loved. To me, that is worse than the worst terminal disease. Previous teaching experience was a great help, not only with the academic material but also with the skills to help, discipline, form, empower and love them.”

In his first priestly assignment, Father Roache will serve in a Nairobi-area parish, where there is a great need for priests.

“The Church is getting stronger but needs continuous support as it is rapidly growing,” he said. “The parish has an increasing number of outstations (micro parishes) in the busy areas and mountain regions located on the outskirts of the city limits. All of the communities need to be looked after in order for them to grow and become self-sufficient. It requires a lot of time and travel, sometimes where there are no roads. One must have a command of the local languages to understand the desires and needs of the community. It demands patience, enthusiasm and motivation. It is a big challenge, but I trust in God’s guidance. I simply ask for people’s generosity and support in any way they can to help us keep things going.”

Even with the growing number of diocesan priests in Africa, he feels there will be plenty of work to keep the SMAs busy for a long time. “Our main charism is to found, develop and empower parishes in underdeveloped rural areas. We encourage local vocations to continue the work. When a parish has been established and functions as self-sufficient, we (SMA) give it to a local diocesan priest(s) to take over. I see more and more collaborative work between the diocesan priests and SMA.”

His parents have been the foundation and inspiration of his vocation. He has three brothers, Thomas, Patrick and John, and a sister, Maureen.

Early Education in Brooklyn

A graduate of St. Anselm’s School and Xaverian H.S., both in Bay Ridge, he received a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Joseph’s College, Brooklyn, and a master’s in education and psychology from the City University of New York as well as a bachelor’s in philosophy from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. His spiritual formation year was in Calavi, Benin.

Before entering the SMAs, he taught eighth-grade English at Marine Park Intermediate School I.S. 278 in Brooklyn. His students ranged from honors level to those with English as a second language trying to adjust to a mainstream classroom.

“There was always a spark of energy when we would come together,” he recalled. “I insisted on writing, writing and writing. I always encouraged creativity as well as critical thinking skills. I truly loved bringing alive short stories and classics such as Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ and Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet.’

“I used to dance and sing at times, spontaneous, of course, but I always ran a tight and respectable ship. I did my level best to set an example for them and tried to guide them on the right road to life. I truly learned more in front of the classroom than I did over many years as a student as their lives, their stories, their joys and even their sorrows marked my daily life while with them.”

Public School Teacher

Although he was happy and successful as a teacher, had good friends, and liked to travel, the attraction to the priesthood became especially strong after a moving visit to the Marian shrine at Medjugorje in Yugoslavia. The fact that he has an SMA uncle, Father Patrick Kelly, also helped to draw him to the community.

Among the concelebrants of his ordination Mass will be Fathers Michael Moran, SMA provincial; Brendan Darcy, vice provincial; Thomas Wright, from the Rome SMA headquarters; John Dunne, formation director in Nairobi; Msgr. Michael J. Philips and Fathers Martin Kull and Michael Gelfant, all of St. Anselm’s; Msgr. Robert A. Romano, pastor of St. Bernadette’s in Dyker Heights; and Father Joseph A. Ceriello, pastor of Incarnation, Queens Village. Phil Nuzzo of St. Anselm’s will direct the choir.

The Ghanian Choir from Christ the King Church in the Bronx, led by Pius Wiafe-Akenteng, will participate in the liturgy and offertory dance (African/Ghana style) at the first Mass in Brooklyn.