Against The Grain

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Fr. Todd Reitmeyer May 13, 1969 - May 24, 2006

The Catholic diocese of Sioux Falls, SD lost a devoted and excellent priest this past Thursday, when Fr. Todd Reitmeyer was killed in a jet ski accident while vacationing in Texas. Fellow Catholic bloggers remember him as the author of "A Son Becomes a Father".

Father Reitmeyer is a native of the Austin, Texas area who was ordained a priest here in 2003. He was currently home to visit family and friends during his vacation. The accident occurred on Lake Travis near Austin.
Father Reitmeyer was born on May 13, 1969 to David and Phyllis Reitmeyer in Virginia. His father was in the military so the family moved some, but eventually settled in the Austin, Texas area. His father suffered a stroke and died in 1992. He graduated from Texas A&M, and earned a Masters degree in counseling from Northwest Missouri State. His discernment of his vocation led him to meet Bishop Robert Carlson, and eventually Todd moved to South Dakota, living in Faulkton with then pastor Father Terry Anderson for several months before entering the seminary. He attended St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul, MN before studying Theology at North American College in Rome.
He was ordained on June 13, 2003 at St. Joseph Cathedral by Bishop Robert Carlson. His first assignment was as associate pastor at St. Michael, Sioux Falls. He then became administrator of St. Michael, Herreid, St. Anthony, Selby and St. Joseph, Eureka where he served from January of 2004 until June of 2005. For the past year he has served as administrator at St. Thomas, Faulkton and St. Boniface, Seneca, as well as sacramental minister for St. Joseph, Orient. He served as spiritual director for St. Margaret Fellowship, the association of Catholic home school families since August 2003.

"I think we all need to be ready spiritually and we have to keep it in our minds that we know not the day nor the hour. I have been thinking a lot about death personally and I want to teach people more about it ..."

Fr. Todd Reitmeyer ("A Son Becomes a Father" January 2006 )

Fr. Todd's Funeral Information
A Loss for the Long Black Line - Rocco Palmo, Whispers in the Loggia.
Other memories and recollections -- from Fr. Dana Christensen (White Around the Collar, recalling some pertinent words on death by Fr. Todd earlier this year, and quoted above); Jeff Cullbreath's Hallowed Ground; Amy Welborn (and some of her readers).
Additional reflections from friends and acquaintances Basil Knebel (at "A Country Boy Writes...."), Marcel LeJeune, and Eric "Gunny" Hartman (Semper Reformanda)
Update The tragic loss of Father Todd, by Matt C. Abbott. June 30, 2006. ["written by Father J. Patrick Serna for Catholic Men's Quarterly].

Eternal rest grant to Him, O Lord, and let perpetual Light shine upon him.