Friday, September 30th, 2016
The Rev. Richard Riedel
Fr. Richard Riedel, C.PP.S., 90, died at 9:20 a.m. on Thursday, September 29, 2016 in the infirmary of St. Charles Center, Carthagena, Ohio. He had been in failing health.
He was born on June 4, 1926, in Ellis, Kan., to Alex and Anna (Glassman) Riedel. He entered the Society of the Precious Blood in 1940 and was ordained on May 18, 1952.
Fr. Riedel spent many years in parish ministry and in leadership roles with the Congregation.
After his ordination he served at St. Cecelia Church in Detroit; St. Francis Church in St. Joseph, Mo.; Holy Trinity in Coldwater, Ohio; and St. James the Less in Columbus. He was appointed pastor of St. Augustine Church in Rensselaer, Ind., in 1970, where he served for 10 years.
In 1980, Fr. Riedel became pastor of St. Gaspar Church in Rome City, Ind. He was named pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Celina, Ohio, in 1982. During that time he also served in the Congregation's senate and was a member of its executive committee and personnel director.
In 1988, he was named pastor of St. Joseph Church in Dayton. He returned to Immaculate Conception, Celina, in 1996 as its senior associate pastor. He retired to St. Charles Center in 2010.
One of 10 children, Fr. Riedel is survived by one brother, Alex, of Ellis, Kan.; and numerous nephews and nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces.
He was preceded in death by seven brothers, Anthony, Ted, Paul, Alfred, Eugene, Elmer and Alvin; and a sister, Mary Ann.
Fr. Riedel had a servant's heart and a gentle manner that made him well suited for parish ministry. He was aided by a phenomenal memory for names and could ask after people whom he hadn't seen in years. He had unfailing faith in God and served him to the best of his abilities, always, transmitting that faith to the people he served, in word and in action. In his final illness, he was patient and cheerful, always more concerned for his caregivers than about his own suffering.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, October 3 at 2 p.m. at St. Charles Center, with Fr. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S., presiding, and Fr. James Dugal, C.PP.S., as homilist. Burial will follow in the Community cemetery.
Calling hours will be held at St. Charles from 1-5 and 7-9 p.m. on Sunday, October 2 with a prayer service at 7 p.m.
