Priest jumps off bridge in Rhode Island

Telegram ^ | September 11, 2009 | Linda Bock

[NYer]

Prayerful ping!

[Senator Goldwater]

When he returned to the area in 1998, he was appointed to St. John the Evangelist in Clinton.

As in Clinton, Maryland. My old parish back in the day.

[muir_redwoods]

Poor man, no one knows the demons we all deal with. It’s sad to see a permanent solution to a temporary problem. RIP

[BigCinBigD]

May God rest his soul. And may he find the peace in eternity he sought in life.

[fatima]

Dear God,Prayers for his family and friends.

[AKA Elena]

The most sincere prayers filled with HOPE for this Servant of God who felt all was lost! We may never be entitled to know what devils persued him, but we can pray that they are banished away from any other who has given so much!

[LdSentinal]

RIP.

[fini]

Wow! I knew him. He was my battalion chaplain in the late 80s. He was the best chaplain that I ever served with (and there were many over a 20 year period). Before becoming a priest, he served in Vietnam during Tet as a radio operator (a billet that was certain to make you a high value target in combat). He had more combat ribbons than most officers that served during the same period. He was the kindest and gentlest person I ever met that had backbone made of iron. Everyone that came into contact with him admired him and sought his advise. I cannot imagine what would cause him to do this, but it must have been significant.

[NYer]

Thank you for the testimonial on Fr. Rocheford. The Vietnam war took a serious toll on many. Could this have been a latent reaction? If you learn more, would you please ping me? Would appreciate it.

[x]

As in Clinton, Maryland. My old parish back in the day.

There's also a parish by the same name in Clinton Massachusetts, and that's probably the one they're referring to.

Coincidence?

Where the Clintons are involved, who can say?

[fini]

Thank you for your concern. If I find out I will send you a note. I could write pages on things that he did or said that made him stand out from the others. But I will sum it up by saying that whenever a bunch of us from the old days talk about him we all are unanimous in saying that he was the best. If Viet Nam was the cause, he hid it well. As I mentioned earlier, he was a radio operator during Tet and the officer he carried the radio for later became a general (a very good general by the way), so I don't think his problem was related to anything he did in Viet Nam. He was a Franciscan, so he took a vow of poverty and he lived it- his car was literally falling apart. Several years later I say him at Parris Island (one of two Marine Corps Boot Camps). He was just as humble and kind as he was while in 3rd Bn 8th Marines (He also had a very good sense of humor). I just pray that: 1) there was a chemical imbalance (which made in unstable); and most importantly 2) God takes mercy on his soul.

[gman992]

Why do people think it is always Vietnam?

[trisham]

The poor man. How very, very sad.

[annalex]

God have mercy on his soul.

Lord, we ask not to count the suicide against this brave man.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.

[trisham]

Thank you so much for sharing your memories of Rev. Rocheford.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Sad. RIP.

[TASMANIANRED]

Prayers lifted.

[Oratam]

How very sad. He sounds like he was quite a guy. He looks the way priests looked in movies from the '40s and '50s. In fact, he looks a little like the actor Pat O'Brien.

May God have mercy on his soul.

[Domestic Church]

Prayers going up for him. RIP.