Very Rev. Roch Adamek, C.P.

George Howard Adamek was born, in Fargo, North Dakota, to Mr. & Mrs. Francis Charles Adamek & Katherine "Kate" (Zeta) Adamek, born in Fargo, North Dakota, and in Minnesota, respectively, but the Adameks were of Slavic ancestry, Czech and/or Polish. George, and his family, were members, of St. Mary's Cathedral parish, where in 1923, at the age of 5 years, he was present, during a parish mission, conducted by the Passionist Fathers, Justin, and Theodore, whom I have not been able to identify, which planted the seed, of a Passionist priestly vocation, in his head, and heart. He entered the Cathedral School the following year, at 6, and became an Altar Server, at the Cathedral. He was taught by the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose schools, in Fargo, are now in the hands of others, but who still have a community, in Fargo. All of these early, and formative, experiences served to stimulate the growth, of the vocation seed, that had been sown, during that mission. In 1932, George entered the Passionists Preparatory Seminary, at Normandy, Missouri, near St. Louis, at the age of 14 years, and while there earned the reputation of being able to repair almost anything aroung the monastery, which he very often did, reducing the community's operating expenses, then in 1938, having completed his high school studies, entered the Passionist novitiate, completed his year and a day of formation there, and professed his vows, of poverty, chastity, obedience, and to promote devotion to the Pasion of Jesus christ — a special Passionist vow — on July 10, 1939, at the age of 21. He then studied at several, different houses of theology, in succession, until he completed the requirements, for priestly ordination, being ordained on June 30 1945, at 27 years of age. His first priestly assignment was as assistand director, then as director, of the seminary, at Normandy, holding the latter position, until the summer of 1953, when he was elected Rector of St. Francis Retreat & Monastery — the novitiate house — at St. Paul, Kansas, which position he continued in, for two 3-year terms, which he completed, in the summer of 1959, whereupon he was appointed Master of Novices, at St. Paul, starting his second 3-year appointment, in the summer of 1962, but he had been coughing frequently, and an e medical examination, revealed that he had developed both lung cancer, and cancer of the pancreas, which in its late stages, is one of the most painful cancers one can have. When he became too ill, to continue living at the monastery, and required a high degree of nursing care, he entered Mercy Hospital, run by the Sisters of Mercy, at Ft, Scott, Kansas, where he died, on July 10, 1963, one year into his second term as Master of Novices, the duties of which, the vice-master of novices was already carrying-out. Occasionally, when his schedule permitted it, he had, also, preached missions, and retreats. He was 45 years old, when he died, having been a priest only 18 years, but a Passionist for 24 years. 1n the May of 1961, when I was seriously discerning a Passionist priestly vocation, Fr. Roch asked me to come to the monastery parlor, where we had had many conversations, that were very helpful to me, and he gave me a beautiful, medium brown, wooden "chalice" that his father had made for him, when he used to celebrate pretend masses, at home, which I'm a little embarrassed to say, I was still doing. He gave it to me, on Sunday, May 7, 1961, because I had just turned 14, on May 5th, i.e., for my birthday. His father had lined the inside of the cup, of that pretend chalice, with a fairly thick plastic, so that the liquid wouldn't leak-out, or damage the wood. For Ripley's, and Guiness, I used that "chalice", in, at least, one pretend mass every day thereafter, until I entered the Passionists' Mother of Good Counsel seminary, at Warrenton, Missouri, to begin my Junior year of high school, at 16. The only reason they admitted me, to the seminary, was because my maternal grandfather, who, with my grandmother, had a very long, and mutually beneficial, history, with the Passionists, at St. Paul, got then Provincial, Very Rev.James Patrick White, C.P., on the phone, and somehow convinced him that they should give me a chance, but I left after six months in the novitiate, because we agreed that I wasn't cut-out to be a Passionist, or a priest. I treasure all of the time I spent with them, and am especially thankful, for the opportunity I had to study Latin, and sing the Gregorian Chant. May Fr. Roch, my wise counselor, and very good, and dear friend, rest in peace.