Father Stephen Rooney presumed drowned

Discussion in 'Prayer requests' started by Katfalls, Aug 17, 2020.

  1. Katfalls

    Katfalls Powers

    Last night, Father Stephen Rooney of Michigan was on a boat with other people in Lake Erie, and it capsized. Everyone was saved except for two men, the driver and Father Rooney. The Coast Guard is searching for the bodies. Father Stephen Rooney was from Belfast, Ireland and has been in Michigan for twenty years. We are asking for Prayers for Father Rooney.
     
    Patty, Mary's child, Jo M and 7 others like this.
  2. padraig

    padraig Powers

    My goodness I knew Fr Stephen very well. If it is the same priest he used to be going on to be a Cistercian monk at one time. So very,very sad to hear this.

    Life is so strange and sad often. Prayers through the night.
     
    torrentum, Mary's child, Jo M and 5 others like this.
  3. AED

    AED Powers

    Oh dear. Praying.
     
  4. Julia

    Julia Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

    Prayer gone up.
     
  5. padraig

    padraig Powers

  6. Katfalls

    Katfalls Powers

    Archdiocese of Detroit
    5h
    ยท
    It is with great sadness that we share that Father Stephen Rooney, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Trenton is missing along with longtime parishioner Robert Chiles after a boat capsized yesterday evening in the Detroit River, off Stoney Island. Several others were rescued from the water by a Good Samaritan nearby.
    Let us unite together in prayer for the missing, for the rescued, and for first responders searching the waters today.
    UPDATE: THIS PRAYER SERVICE WILL BE LIVE-STREAMED AS WELL!
    There will be a Prayer Vigil tonight at 7pm in the Parish parking lot and the public lot for Fr Rooney and Rob Chiles with Bishop Battersby.
     
  7. DesertStar7

    DesertStar7 Guest

    Adding my prayers.
     
    Mary's child, Jo M and HeavenlyHosts like this.
  8. Mario

    Mario Powers


    Praying for Father Stephen.:cry::notworthy:

    O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
     
  9. HeavenlyHosts

    HeavenlyHosts Powers

    So sad. Praying.
     
    Mary's child and Jo M like this.
  10. Jo M

    Jo M Powers

    Praying for Fr.Rooney. How terrible. :(
     
    Mary's child likes this.
  11. Mary's child

    Mary's child Powers

    Prayers for Fr. Rooney and Mr. Chiles.
     
    Jo M likes this.
  12. HeavenlyHosts

    HeavenlyHosts Powers

    Fr. Rooney's body has been found. May his soul rest in peace.
     
    Sam, Mary's child, AED and 1 other person like this.
  13. Jo M

    Jo M Powers

    :cry: So sad.
     
    Mary's child and HeavenlyHosts like this.
  14. Katfalls

    Katfalls Powers

    They found his body in Monroe, Mi. It had drifted out of the Detroit River into Lake Erie. He was in Monroe at St.Michael's Parish when I first met him. The people in Monroe say he wanted to come back there, and his body was found on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Knock. He was also a Hibernian. I remember when he came to Monroe he talked the parish into re-doing the church, and hired an artist to paint the great saints all over the walls and ceilings of the church . . .it looked like a European chapel when he was done. Quite different from the churches over here, he appreciated art. He was very sweet. I asked him one time why he came to the United States and he said too many people knew him in Ireland, he wanted to be fresh over here. Well, Ireland sent a wonderful Priest and he will be missed. May he rest in peace.
     
    Mary's child, AED, Don_D and 2 others like this.
  15. HeavenlyHosts

    HeavenlyHosts Powers

    I did not realize that you knew him so well. This is a beautiful eulogy.
     
    Mary's child and AED like this.
  16. Katfalls

    Katfalls Powers

    A little view of the present St.Michael the Archangel Church in Monroe, Mi. that Father Rooney enhanced. Beautiful!
     

    Attached Files:

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  17. AED

    AED Powers

    Stunning.
     
    HeavenlyHosts, Don_D and Sam like this.
  18. padraig

    padraig Powers

    The last time I saw Father Stephen was at mass in Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey , Cisterician. He had only been ordained about a year or two before. He was young, I think maybe around 26. The mass was in honour of Our Lady. It was maybe a Saturday mass.

    Anyway after the Gospel he invited anyone who wanted to talk about Our Lady to do so (he was celebrating the mass) . No one else spoke so I did. After the mass he came to me and said he had never heard anyone talk about Mary in such a personal way.

    The Chapel was the Mass Rock Chapel. It was an altar the Locals used to used in the open air when the English would kill us for saying the mass and we had to say it in hidden places.
    As far as I recall several of Father Stephens family were imprisoned, like myself, for fighting the British.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_rock_(Portglenone)

    [​IMG]

     
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  19. HeavenlyHosts

    HeavenlyHosts Powers

    Fr Rooney was a holy priest.
     
    AED likes this.

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