Monsignor Richard Rolwing

The Very Rev. Monsignor Richard Cyril Rolwing, 93, of Cape Girardeau entered into his eternal rest Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

He was born May 8, 1927, in the Texas Bend community of Mississippi County, Missouri, to the late Paul and Elizabeth Wessels Rolwing. He attended St. Henry Grade School and graduated from St. Henry High School in Charleston, Missouri, and went on to study at the Cardinal Glennon Seminary College and then Kenrick Theology Seminary in St. Louis, where he was ordained Feb. 28, 1953, by Cardinal Joseph Ritter in the Kenrick Seminary Chapel.

Monsignor's first assignment was to St. Peter's Church in Kirkwood, Missouri, followed by the assignment to Church of the Resurrection in South St. Louis County. It was during this time that the announcement was made of the new Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Three local boys, who were native to the area requested membership in the new diocese: The Revs. James Seyer of Cape Girardeau, Quentin Hahn of Kelso, Missouri, and Richard Rolwing of Charleston.

His first assignment in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese was to St. Francis Xavier Parish in Sikeston, Missouri, followed by several moves across the state. First as an assistant to St. Agnes Cathedral in Springfield. In 1962, he became the first resident priest in Piedmont, Missouri, with mission churches in Van Buren and Williamsville, Missouri. In 1965, the bishop asked him to pastor a community in the middle of the diocese at West Plains, Missouri, with a mission of Thayer, Missouri, and in 1966 was invited by Bishop Ignatius Strecker to be the founder of a new parish on the eastern side of Springfield, which would be named Holy Trinity Parish and which became a beautiful and thriving parish.

In 1972, Monsignor Rolwing was moved closer to home and his family at Charleston. He would spend 11 happy years at Guardian Angel Church in Oran, Missouri. After the sudden death of the pastor at Branson, Missouri, he moved there for four years, after which Bishop John J. Leibrecht asked him to come to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau for 16 wonderful years, where he retired in 2003. For a brief time he would take mission trips to Alaska and after that returned to the place of his first diocesan assignment at St. Francis Xavier Church in Sikeston, before retiring to an apartment in Cape Girardeau.

Monsignor Rolwing was a member of the Knights of Columbus and had served the organization as its Missouri State Chaplain, as well as numerous other organizations throughout the state as he ministered.

Monsignor never met a stranger and loved all cultures. He was a lover of music and himself was an organist. He particularly enjoyed travel in the Holy Land, Rome, Germany (home to many of his ancestors), France, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, China, Japan, Canada and Mexico and served as chaplain on several cruise ships to Alaska.

On Jan. 25, 1990, Monsignor was bestowed the Prelate of Honor (Monsignor) by Pope John Paul II.

Family was central to Monsignor Rolwing, and he was always asked to come home for family celebrations in good times and times of sorrow.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Albert, Bob, Cornelius and Herman Rolwing.

He is survived by his sister, Mary Agnes Rolwing Belviy, and a number of nephews and nieces.

Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. Friday at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau, where the rosary will be recited at 7 p.m.

Visitation will continue from 8:30 a.m. until time for the Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Saturday at Monsignor's home parish, St. Henry Catholic Church in Charleston. Interment will follow in the Texas Bend Cemetery near Charleston under the direction of the McMikle Funeral Home of Charleston.

Online condolences may be shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com.