Fr. Jeremiah Reen, SDB (1941-2021)

Fr. Jeremiah J. Reen, SDB (1941-2021)

Fr. Jeremiah at Tampa in 2017

(photographer unknown)

Fr. Jeremiah Joseph Reen Jr., SDB, passed into eternity on Saturday afternoon, July 10, at the age of 80. He had been ill for several months and went into a nursing home recently, and at the beginning of July into hospice care at Seasons Hospice in Largo, Fla.

Fr. Jeremiah had belonged to the Salesian community of Tampa since the summer of 2010, residing at St. Philip the Apostle Residence. He was a professed Salesian for more than 61 years and a priest for more than 50 years.

Jeremiah was born in Boston on April 23, 1941, to Jeremiah J. and Ann Hanley Reen, and entered Christian life on May 18 of that year at St. Lawrence Church in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Jeremiah attended Mission Church High School in Roxbury for three years (1954-1957). He transferred to Don Bosco Juniorate in Haverstraw, N.Y., for his senior year (displaying academic excellence), and in September 1958 was admitted to St. Joseph’s Novitiate in Newton, N.J. He made his first religious profession a year later, on September 8, 1959, also at Newton. He made his perpetual vows on August 16, 1965, at Cedar Lake, Ind.

During his early years as a Salesian, continuing beyond ordination, he ordinary went by Bro. Jerry or Fr. Jerry. In his later years he preferred to be “Jeremiah.”

Bro. Jeremiah began his college studies at Don Bosco College in Newton (1959-1961). In 1961 he was sent for a more advanced program at the Salesian Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome (1961-1964), earning a licentiate in philosophy (cum laude), equivalent to an M.A.

He went to the Salesian high school seminary in Cedar Lake for practical training (1964-1965) and continued that training at Salesian Junior Seminary in Goshen, N.Y. (1965-1967), teaching Greek and social studies. On the first day of Greek class with Goshen’s seniors, he assigned them to learn the alphabet for homework. The next day he walked into class and directed us to write what he would dictate, which turned out to be the Hail Mary, although none of us recognized it in Greek—or succeeded very well in transcribing it. Fortunately, the rest of the year in Greek went better than that.

Fr. John Puntino (Goshen ’67) offers this memory of Fr. Jeremiah:

I first came to know Jeremiah when, in the mid 1960s as a brother in practical training, he was teaching us at Salesian Junior Seminary. What impressed me most was his sincerity and religious spirit.

During visiting Sundays, when our parents were able to visit us aspirants, he met my mother and father. As the years went by, whenever we met he would ask about them with genuine interest.

Though he struggled and suffered in ways that limited his ability to minister, my admiration for him never lessened. When it comes to describing who a Salesian is, I can unhesitatingly point to him and say, “He was the genuine article.”

Bro. Jeremiah was part of the first group of Salesians who went to Worthington, Ohio, to study theology at the Pontifical College Josephinum in 1967. He earned a Master’s degree in religious education from the PCJ in 1970 and was ordained in Columbus on April 3, 1971.

Newly ordained Fr. Jeremiah returned to his native Boston area, assigned to Sacred Heart Juniorate in Ipswich as prefect of studies and catechist (1971-1972). His grounding in philosophy then led to appointment to the faculty of Don Bosco College (1972-1975), first as dean of religious activities and then as academic dean. In 1972 he started studies toward a doctorate at St. John’s University in Queens, completed all the course work with outstanding grades, and passed the doctoral comprehensive exam in 1976; but he never finished the degree.

Bill Moriarty had Bro. Jeremiah as a teacher in Goshen and again at Newton. He recalls that Fr. Jeremiah, “Fr. Klauder and I used to drive to St. John’s, where Jerry was enrolled, to hear philosophy lectures, and drop off for a drink on the way back. Back in high school, Jerry liked puns, especially self-deprecating ones. He used to roll up a magazine, drill into your arm, and say, ‘I’m boring.’ As a fellow traveler in the philosophy lane, I really appreciated those attempts at humor.”

A Salesian who experienced Fr. Jeremiah’s “kindness and spiritual attention for souls” in a remarkable way was Fr. John Nazzaro.  He writes:

When I began with the Salesians as a son of Mary, Fr. Jerry was at Don Bosco College.  He was teaching introduction to philosophy, but his gift was as a young priest confessor. His guidance, concern, and love for all of us was something I tried to emulate as a Salesian priest, but never could come close to….

When I went to practical training he was my spiritual director.

My close friend Fr. Tom Connery, who lives in Ormond Beach, Fla., invited me for a mission six years ago. On Monday after the mission, we had a free day together. I asked him where he would like to go – Disney, Busch Gardens, the beach. He said, “Let’s go see Fr. Jerry, since while Fr. Tom was a Salesian years ago, Fr. Jerry was a model of love, kindness, and deep faith. We went to see Fr. Jerry, and Fr. Tom was not disappointed in his smile and his Salesian spirit.

Fr. Jerry loved the poor. He was a spiritual giant and was loved by everyone. While I was in practical training, his mother passed, and at the funeral he showed where that deep love for the poor, that deep faith came from – his mom.

While still working on his doctorate, Fr. Jeremiah returned to Salesian Junior Seminary in Goshen in 1975, particularly to work at his courses. In 1976 he became part of the seminary teaching staff (Spanish and theology) and assistant to the aspirants, fulfilling those responsibilities until 1982. At the same time he did some external ministry to youngsters in an archdiocesan group home in Middletown, N.Y.

As a result of his desire to serve poor and abandoned youths, 1982 brought a dramatic ministerial change for Fr. Jeremiah: to parochial vicar at St. Philip Benizi Parish in Belle Glade, Fla., one of the poorest communities in the U.S. Many farm workers from Latin America and Haiti, both migrant and resident, labored in Palm Beach County’s sugar cane fields.

According to Wikipedia, “For a time during the early to mid 1980s, the city had the highest rate of AIDS infection per capita in the United States. According to the FBI, in 2003 the city had the second highest violent crime rate in the country. In 2010, the Palm Beach County sheriff's office estimated that half of the young men in Belle Glade between the ages of 18 and 25 had felony convictions.”

Fr. Jeremiah with Belle Glade's pastor, 

Fr. Joe Santa Bibiana, in 2009

Fr. Jeremiah had become proficient at Spanish while teaching it at Goshen; he was soon adept at Creole, the better to serve his parishioners and others. He was certified as a prison chaplain, as well, and diligently exercised that ministry. He remained parochial vicar at St. Philip Benizi and friend of the disadvantaged for 28 years, until failing health suggested his move to Tampa in 2010.

When he was celebrating his golden jubilee of profession in 2009, he wrote: “Being a Salesian is my gifted way of living Baptism. It’s a great life. The Spirit of God calls together people of diverse age, race, language and way of life to sing God’s praises and seek God’s help and to wash one another’s feet.”

A couple of years later (September 2011), in connection with his ordination jubilee (40 years), he asserted that he was “not a self-made man,” that he loved the Catholic Church, and that “God has helped me to want to be someone people can find trustworthy: young and old, especially young people who are poorer.  These people have made me.”

Fr. Jeremiah is survived by his brother James and sister-in-law Cherlene Reen of Massachusetts.

His funeral will be celebrated, according to the usual practice, in both Tampa at Mary Help of Christians Church and Haverstraw/Stony Point, N.Y., at the Marian Shrine.  His director, Fr. Franco Pinto, presided at the rites in Tampa.  Fr. Provincial (Fr. Tim Zak) will preside at the Mass in Haverstraw, and Fr. John Nazzaro will preach.

Mary Help of Christians Church
6400 East Chelsea Street
Tampa, Florida 33610
          Visitation:    Wednesday, July 14, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
          Mass:     Thursday, July 15, 10:00 a.m.

Marian Shrine Chapel
174 Filors Lane
Stony Point, New York 10980        
         Visitation:  Friday, July 16, 2:00 p.m.
         Mass:    Friday, July 16, 7:00 p.m.

Fr. Jeremiah will be buried in the Salesian Cemetery in Goshen, N.Y., on July 17 at 10:30 a.m.