My good friend, Father Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R., died Oct. 3 on the same date as St. Francis of Assisi, after praying a rosary. He was a renowned Christian retreat director, author, preacher, teacher, counselor and guide to many. He was perhaps the most well-known priest in the U.S. It was my privilege to call him co-founder of Good Counsel Homes as well as my spiritual director and friend.
Father Benedict and I met during the winter of 1980 while I was at a mission helping homeless and runaway kids in Times Square. He came during the most difficult day I had there and gave a homily filled with practical as well as spiritual insights, which began a long personal collaboration in helping the poor and helping those who help others.
Considering the plight of homeless mothers and babies, whom I saw coming off the streets into this midtown Manhattan shelter, I asked Father Benedict, “Why didn’t someone do something to help homeless mothers go back to school, find a job (and as he would often say) ‘take that next good step in life?’” His final response was that he would help me if I wanted to start a home for mothers and babies.
Good Counsel Homes is operating nearly 30 years now and helping mothers return to school and find jobs. He helped me every step of the way, was the founding chairman of the board and was a personal and professional guide as we worked with difficult situations, and he was a major reason Good Counsel was able to open our DayStar Home for special needs mothers who are not only homeless but have a mental health diagnosis and/or an addiction.
For a while I worked with him at the home he began for young men, St. Francis Home in Greenpoint. I’ve seen him calm the anger and rage of young men. He was sympathetic and inspiring to them as well as to Good Counsel’s young women.
While traveling with him on pilgrimages in Italy, France, Ireland and England, he was often met by people who were familiar with his writing, his tapes or appearances on EWTN, the international television network. He always was himself – kind, friendly, helpful.
Many times I’d meet with him late at night because he was counseling priests until midnight. He helped to bring scores of priests who had left the priesthood back into the good graces of the Church and into the practicing ministry.
He’d often sleep only four hours a night. When he once complained to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whom he was appointed as liaison by the then-Cardinal of New York, Terrence Cooke, that he was always tired, he related that Mother asked him, “How long do you sleep?” He responded, “Four hours.” She replied, “That’s the problem.” “What?” he asked. “You sleep too much.” Father Benedict enjoyed that kind of humor.
He was a strong pro-life witness and advocate. Going on many marches and speaking at many rallies to defend the unborn from abortion, he was also arrested, along with a bishop and another friar, at the notorious Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., abortion mill. He spent several days in the Valhalla prison.
He often said he was looking forward to going to “Purgatory, because it was like Jersey City” where he grew up.
Many people believe Father Benedict to be a saint. He would scorn at such a remark. He’d always say, “Pray for me when I die. I’ll need it.”
While he was not perfect, his preaching and work with the poor touched millions of lives. When he was going to speak to priests on retreat in Florida on Jan. 11, 2004, he was hit by a car and nearly died. Thousands of people prayed for him and wrote how he had personally changed their lives. Many were converted to or strengthened in their Catholic faith. Some Protestants and non-Christians who remained in their faith listened to him regularly and were helped because of his incredible spiritual insights and practical wisdom.
He will not be forgotten. Of his more than 40 books, all still in print, I believe many will be read for centuries to come.
May Father Benedict rest in Your Peace, Lord.
