For Father Ronald “Ron” Rieder, OFM Cap., one of the greatest blessings of his life came not in a parish or classroom but while cleaning toilets. As a young Capuchin novice living at St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit, the future pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Huntington was scrubbi ng a restroom when Blessed Solanus Casey walked in and said, “Oh, are you ever a lucky young man to be able to clean toilets for your brothers.” Father Rieder, who passed away on Thursday, June 18, in Appleton, Wisconsin, at the age of 90, never forgot the lesson. Provided by Father Tony SteinackerLast July, more than 100 parishioners from SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Huntington made a bus trip to Appleton, Wisconsin, to visit Father Rieder for his 90th birthday. As a young friar, Father Rieder often played the organ for daily Mass while Blessed Solanus Casey, whose voice had been weakened by childhood illness, stood nearby and quietly sang along. Those simple encounters left a lasting impression on the future pastor. Years later, reflecting on the time he spent living alongside Blessed Solanus, he simply said, “One of the greatest graces in my life was to live with Father Solanus.” It was a grace that would shape his priesthood for the rest of his life. That spirit of humility, gratitude and service would characterize Father Rieder’s priesthood for more than six decades, including 33 years as pastor of SS. Peter and Paul in Huntington, where generations of parishioners came to regard him not only as their priest but as family. Father Tony Steinacker, who succeeded Father Rieder as pastor in 2017, said his predecessor “shepherded countless individuals with a listening ear and compassionate heart.” The longevity of Father Rieder’s ministry meant he often accompanied parishioners through every stage of life — from baptism and first reconciliation to first holy Communion, confirmation, marriage and even the baptism of their own children. “This is absolutely remarkable and nearly unheard of,” Father Steinacker said. Born on July 25, 1935, in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Father Rieder entered the Capuchin Order in 1955 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1963. After assignments in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, he accepted the call to become pastor of SS. Peter and Paul in 1984, a ministry that would define much of his life. For many parishioners, first impressions of the towering Capuchin have never faded. Greg Holzinger recalled being a nervous 12-year-old altar server waiting in the sacristy with the other boys to meet the parish’s new pastor. “Father Ron Rieder entered the room and the three of us looked up … way up … as this stranger towered over us,” Holzinger shared with Today’s Catholic. “Then came that warm, friendly smile we all know, love and will sorely miss. Everything would be fine.” Although Huntington was not initially where Father Rieder expected to serve, parishioner Mary Lou Snyder recalled watching him grow to love the parish and community with his whole heart. During conversations through the years, Father Rieder often expressed that affection in simple terms. “They are such good people,” he would say when speaking about the people of Huntington. His love for the community was returned in equal measure. Beyond parish life, Father Rieder served as chaplain to the Huntington Fire Department, the Huntington County Police Department and the Knights of Columbus, participated on numerous community boards and was recognized for his service as a Sagamore of the Wabash recipient and as Chief of the Flint Springs Tribe during Huntington Heritage Days. Father Rieder’s affection for Blessed Solanus also inspired one of his lasting contributions to Huntington. After giving developer John Tippmann a tour of the former St. Felix Friary and sharing stories about Blessed Solanus’ time there, Father Rieder encouraged him with a simple challenge: “Hey, you got faith. That’s all it’s going to take.” The eventual restoration of St. Felix preserved Blessed Solanus’ former room and created a place of pilgrimage for generations to come. Kelly Jennings, business manager at SS. Peter and Paul, described him as “a people person” whose ministry reached well beyond the parish walls. Huntington, she said, truly became his home. For many, however, Father Rieder’s greatest legacy was not found in awards or accomplishments but in how he quietly accompanied people through life’s struggles. Brother Jerry Johnson, OFM Cap., credits Father Rieder with helping him discern his own religious vocation. “Father Ron was a mentor and was someone who was nice to talk to when I was making difficult and painful decisions in my young adult years when deciding whether or not to join religious life with the Capuchins,” Brother Jerry wrote. “I always appreciated him and the other Capuchins who served at SS. Peter and Paul and how they seemed so respectful and grateful for people and tried to accompany them through hard times the best they could.” Father Steinacker also credits Father Ron with fostering numerous vocations. During his years in Huntington, seven men and women entered priesthood or religious life, and he believes Father Rieder planted the seeds of discernment for many others called to serve the Church as priests, deacons and religious.   Former Our Sunday Visitor publisher Greg Erlandson described Father Rieder as “the archetype of the wounded healer.” “He had faced challenges in his life, and these challenges made him a better man and a better priest,” Erlandson wrote. “He testified to God’s love for all of us, no matter our sins, no matter how often we fell.” That conviction was evident in countless encounters. A former altar server, Nick Miller once asked Father Rieder whether Saddam Hussein would go to heaven. “We hope he does,” Father Rieder replied. The answer stayed with Miller for years. “It taught me to not harbor hate and made me truly understand that we cannot cast judgment,” he wrote. “Father Ron taught me to have love in your heart, even for your ‘enemies.’” Bill Miller saw that same compassion during his own battle with alcoholism. Having faced his own struggles with alcohol earlier in life, Father Rieder quietly ministered to those battling addiction with empathy born from experience. Provided by Father Tony SteinackerMore than 100 former parishioners pose with Father Ron Rieder, center, after traveling from Huntington to Appleton, Wisconsin, to visit him for his 90th birthday last July. “I didn’t fully grasp the depth of his ministry to addicts until my last visit with him this past April,” Miller wrote. “He told me he had ministered to hundreds — possibly thousands — of people struggling with addiction.” Paula Garrett recalled Father Rieder’s extraordinary ability to meet people exactly where they were. Working as a hospice social worker, she once called him on behalf of a frightened 10-year-old boy from a non-Catholic family whose father was dying. Without hesitation, Father Rieder responded, “Bring him over.” The child left reassured and hopeful. Garrett said Father Rieder “made everyone feel important.” “He was humble, inclusive and nonjudgmental,” she wrote. “He was quick to share his own shortcomings in an attempt to make one feel better about their own.” Katie Spahr remembered Father Rieder’s humility in another way. Before retiring in 2017, he told worried parishioners that once they experienced life with a new pastor, they would think, “Father Ron, who?” “He could not have been more wrong,” Spahr wrote. Larry Bonbrake, who worked alongside Father Rieder for 25 years as maintenance director at SS. Peter and Paul, described him as “one of the most influential people in my life, second only to my own father.” “We became very close friends, and I thought of him as my second dad,” Bonbrake wrote. “Father Ron loved Huntington, and Huntington loved him.” “No one could ever replace Father Ron,” Father Steinacker reflected, “but it has been a joy to follow him as pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish.” The young Capuchin who learned from Blessed Solanus Casey that even cleaning toilets could be an act of love spent the 33 years quietly serving the people of Huntington with that same humility. He often described them in simple terms: “They are such good people.” Judging from the outpouring of memories shared after his death, the feeling was mutual. Father Rieder was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Hildegarde (Mertes) Rieder, and his brothers Richard and Edward. He is survived by a brotherhood of Capuchins with whom he lived, prayed and ministered for more than seven decades. On Wednesday, June 24, a visitation and memorial liturgy will be held at the St. Fidelis Friary in Appleton, Wisconsin, beginning at 10 a.m. In Huntington, a Rosary will be prayed at SS. Peter and Paul Church at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, followed by visitation until 8 p.m. On Tuesday, June 30, visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at SS. Peter and Paul Church, and the Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at St. Felix Capuchin Cemetery. The Mass of Christian Burial will be livestreamed at thecapuchins.org and at youtube.com/@sspphuntington9608.   The post Huntington Remembers Father Ron Rieder appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less