July 17, 2009
Father Ray Reising dies July 14
Father Raymond Reising, a priest in the Diocese of Evansville for more than 60 years, died July 14 in Evansville. He was 89.
Father Reising was one of the first two priests ordained in the new Diocese of Evansville. The diocese’s first bishop, Henry J. Grimmelsman, ordained him on February 2, 1945, at Assumpt-ion Cathedral in Evansville. Msgr. Clinton Hirsch also was ordained at that time.
At the time of the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood in 1995, Father Reising admitted he was a shy person. He said he would “just as soon be in the back pew” at his jubilee Mass at St. Joseph Church in Evansville.
He was born August 1, 1919, to Peter and Rosa (Weiss) Reising. After finishing his studies at St. Meinrad Seminary, his first assignment in 1945 was as an assistant pastor at St. Boni-face Church in Evansville. His first pastorate was Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Petersburg from 1951 to 1954.
Other assignments included assistant pastor at St. Mary Church in Evansville from 1946 to 1951, assistant at St. Mary Church in Washington, also in 1951, pastor of St. John Church in Elberfeld from 1954 to 1967, pastor of St. Martin Church at Whitfield from 1967 to 1970, and pastor of St. Mary Church in Ireland from 1970 to 1982.
From 1982 until retiring in 1984, he was associate pastor of St. Joseph Church in Evansville. He also served as administrator of St. Rupert Church in Red Brush.
During his pastorates, new rectories were built at Petersburg and at St. Martin and a new school was built when he was pastor at St. John in Elberfeld.
Survivors include nieces Suzanne Tempel, Marita Dieter, Peggy Bakel and Barbara Reising, all of Evansville, Joan Collins of Duxbury, Mass., Mary Jane Ekstein of Annapolis, Md., and Kathleen Spence of Dallas, Texas, and nephews Ken Reis-ing of Mishawaka, Ind., and Don Reising of Haubstadt.
Visitation will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 17, at St. Joseph Church in Evansville. A vigil service will be held at 7 p.m.
A funeral Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, July 18, at St. Joseph Church, with Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger and priests of the diocese con-celebrating. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery.