Bishop Ron Herzog died on April 12, 2019. He gave 50 years of pastoral ministry to God's people in a variety of capacities. I want to begin this post with a large segment of his obituary from https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thetowntalk/obituary.
"The Most Reverend Ronald Paul Herzog, Bishop-Emeritus of the Diocese of
Alexandria, passed from this life at CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini
Hospital on April 12th, 2019 after a brief illness. Born in Akron, Ohio
on April 22nd, 1942, the only son of Paul Herzog and Kathryn Donahue,
Bishop Herzog spent his early years in Natchez, Mississippi. He was an
alumnist of St. Joseph Seminary College, where he completed his high
school and junior college studies, and of the Pontifical College
Josephinum, where he completed a B.A. degree in philosophy and an S.T.B.
degree in theology. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese
of Natchez-Jackson on June 1st, 1968 where he held pastoral and staff
posts until the creation of the Diocese of Biloxi in 1977. Bishop Herzog
served the Diocese of Biloxi both as a pastor and as Director of the
Diocesan Worship Office and as Defender of the Bond and was named a
Monsignor with the rank of Domestic Prelate by Pope John Paul II in
1987. He served the state of Mississippi as a chaplain in the state
National Guard for 30 years, saw active duty in the Persian Gulf War and
retired with the rank of Brigadier General. For his years of faithful
service he was decorated with the Mississippi Cross.
Bishop
Herzog's love of music and the arts was reflected in his participation
with the Gulf Coast Messiah Chorus and other choral groups. He directed
several choirs as well as the Diocesan Choir for the Diocese of Biloxi.
He served as a member or chair of several boards for community chorus
groups and performing arts groups. In 1977 he was one of three
Mississippians accepted through national audition as a member of the
American Choral Directors Association National Community Honor Choir.
Bishop Herzog played a key role in the formation and development of the
Red River Chorale in Alexandria and served on the board of the
Alexandria Museum of Art.
Named by Pope St. John Paul II on
October 27th, 2004, Bishop Herzog was ordained and installed as the 11th
Bishop of Alexandria on January 5th, 2005. During his tenure as bishop,
Bishop Herzog established two new parishes, ordained 17 men to the
priesthood, instituted and hosted the annual 'Taste of Faith' reception
to help fund seminary education and reestablished the permanent diaconal
program. He presided over the dedication of the Basilica of the
Immaculate Conception in Natchitoches and the centennial celebration of
the establishment of the diocese in 2010. Bishop Herzog welcomed and
supported the ACTS retreat program and oversaw the renovation and
expansion of the Maryhill Renewal Center campus.
An active
member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop
Herzog served as a member of various USCCB committees and as the
Catholic co-chair of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Theological
Consultation in the US. He also served on the USCCB Communications
Committee for 10 years. In the area of communications, Bishop Herzog
made the bold decision to offer The Church Today, the monthly diocesan
periodical, free to every Catholic household in the diocese. He served
as the episcopal moderator of the Diocesan Information Systems (DISC)
Conference as well as the episcopal moderator of Radio Maria.
Bishop Herzog was a 4th degree member and proudly served as the State
Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus and was a Knight Commander of the
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem as well as a Grand
Prelate of the Order of the Fleur de Lis. He was also a member of the
Downtown Alexandria Rotary Club and the Alexandria Lions Club and served as a member of the Board of Directors of United Way of Central Louisiana.
In February, 2014, Bishop Herzog suffered a stroke that affected his
left side. After several months in the hospital, the bishop underwent
extensive physical and occupational therapy. Through the power of prayer
and with the help of his fellow priests, diocesan employees and
friends, the bishop returned to his daily work until Pope Francis
accepted his retirement in February, 2017."
Bishop Ron's Funeral Liturgy was celebrated at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Alexandria, Louisiana, on April 22, 2019. Representing the Josephinum, Fr. John Allen and one of the Josephinum deacons from the Alexandria Diocese attended his Funeral Liturgy.
Ron Herzog joined out class at the start of our third year of college in 1962. I regarded him highly. Upon hearing of his death, numerous classmates shared their memories and sympathies via email. Bob Kinast's personal memory captured my attention. He wrote,
"I join with you all in celebrating Ron's dedication to ministerial service and now his transition to the life promised by the Lord to his faithful followers which we commemorate this Holy Week. Since our rooms in the theology building were across from each other, we had many post-lunch conversations about the latest article, book, or idea that grabbed our attention. And when I learned of his appointment as bishop of Alexandria, I wrote saying how pleasantly surprised I was. He wrote back that if I was surprised, he was shocked. I believe he got over that reaction to fulfill admirably yet another phase of his life of service. It was an honor to call him classmate, friend, and brother."
Representing our class, Mike Heydinger drove to Columbus to participate in the memorial, liturgical service for Bishop Ron held at the Pontifical College Josephinum yesterday, April 29. Mike reported that the service was tastefully done and that he was grateful to have had the opportunity to join the seminary community, giving thanks to Mike Fry for his arrangements.
Forever peace and joy, Bishop Ron, and pray for us!
