Good Shepherd parishioners remember Father Ron Mohnickey, TOR
Fr. Ronald Mohnickey, TOR, visits with a parishioner at Good Shepherd Parish in Colleyville on May 16, 2021. (NTC/Jayme Donahue).
COLLEYVILLE — Good Shepherd parishioners described Father Ron Mohnickey, TOR, as a gentle, comforting, and dependable quiet presence. But also as a man of quick wit and voracious appetite, both for delectable food and the faith.
Fr. Mohnickey, 82, passed away on June 11, having served 58 years of religious life.
Ordained in 1971, Fr. Mohnickey served in Virginia, Ohio, Austria, and Texas as a priest, teacher, director of novices, and other positions. Fr. Mohnickey served at Good Shepherd from 2015-23, after which he retired to Saint Francis Friary in Loretto, Pennsylvania.
One parishioner recalled Fr. Mohnickey's first Mass at Good Shepherd, which proved an early introduction to his humor.
“We knew a new priest was coming,” the parishioner said. “Fr. Ron [Mohnickey] got up and said, 'I'm the priest you've been praying for. Don't you wish you would have prayed harder?'”
Director of Parish Engagement Donna Campbell commented also on Fr. Mohnickey's sense of humor and love of people.
“He was known for sitting on the perch,” Campbell said. “A stone wall that leads up the stairs of our church's main entrance. He would greet everyone coming into church from there, so that's a fond memory now every time I walk past that wall.”
A priest of presence
Fr. Mohnickey's impact, parishioner Stephanie Sanchez said, is hard to put into words.
“He was such a quiet, gentle presence at Good Shepherd,” Sanchez said. “He was always present in an understated way and didn't have to say much because you knew he was listening.”
Sanchez spoke lovingly too of Fr. Mohnickey's good, gentle pace, especially in regards to his homilies.
“It helped you to slow down too and reflect,” Sanchez said. “Forced you to take time to really appreciate the beauty of the Mass in this fast-paced world we live in. He let things linger long enough to sink in, and silence was okay with him.”
Sanchez praised Fr. Mohnickey's consoling reassurance during the funerals of her sister-in-law's mother and others.
“A friend shared that, when her dad died, she was praying at the funeral and felt a gentle hand on her shoulder,” Sanchez said. “She turned, thinking it was a family member, and it was Fr. Ron, just a quiet comfort to her.”
A priest of heart and humor
Parishioner Sabrina Fernando recalled both Fr. Mohnickey and Father Richard Eldredge, who passed away in 2019.
“They're up there praying for us,” Fernando said. “With Fr. Ronald, now we've gained another prayer warrior in heaven.”
Fernando called Fr. Mohnickey “the most amazing man.”
“To know Fr. Ronald was to love him,” Fernando said. “You're never going to talk to anyone who's going to say anything bad about Fr. Ronald. When you were with him, you were the only person in the world and when he preached, he preached from the heart.”
Fernando laughed while remembering Fr. Mohnickey's humor.
“One day I saw him sitting on the wall outside as usual and asked him how he gets up there,” Fernando said. “He said, 'With great difficulty, my dear, with great difficulty.'”
Fernando joked too of how the first thing Fr. Mohnickey did, when visiting her and her husband's home, was search out their Lindt white chocolate candy.
Parishioner Javier Geronimo spoke of Fr. Mohnickey's soft-spoken nature backed by wisdom and conviviality as well as his comforting outreach during times of trouble and funerals.
Geronimo said he and Fr. Mohnickey's friendship grew after both realized they had been in the same college fraternity.
“That surprised me because you don't really think of priests going to college and joining fraternities,” Geronimo said. “After that, we always gave each other the [Tau Kappa Epsilon] secret handshake every time we met.”
Geronimo recalled Fr. Mohnickey's dry sense of humor.
“Was walking into Mass one day and Fr. Ron was walking slow because of his cane,” Geronimo said. “I jokingly came up behind and said, 'C'mon Padre, let's move it.' He turned ever so slowly, looked at me, and said, 'You know, you can be excommunicated.'”
A priest extravagantly appreciated
Fr. Mohnickey, in a 2021 North Texas Catholic article marking the 50th anniversary of his ordination, spoke of his love of celebrating Mass and hearing confessions and of time's inevitable passing.
“Sometimes unbelievably so, sometimes not,” Fr. Mohnickey said of whether 1971 felt long ago. “My body tells me it's been a long time, but not necessarily my spirit.”
Fr. Mohnickey went on to say how Texas and Good Shepherd felt like home.
“I have a sign on my desk that says, 'Extravagant Appreciation,’” Fr. Mohnickey said. “That's what I've experienced here.”
Parishioner Carrie Sanchez characterized Fr. Mohnickey as a great priest and lovely man.
“He was extremely pastoral,” Sanchez said. “He had a beautiful cadence to his voice, very grandfatherly. He had a gift for making everyone he spent time with feel like they belonged, they were cherished, and they were special.”
Sanchez said she recently contributed a chapter to a book, something she had never done and was anxious about.
“I sent him the chapter, and he sent just the most beautiful voicemail back that was so encouraging,” Sanchez said.
A priest remembered
About 200 parishioners participated in a Rosary for Fr. Mohnickey following the 4 p.m. June 15 Mass at Good Shepherd with several relaying that although Fr. Mohnickey returned to Pennsylvania two years ago, they still kept in touch with and in several cases even visited with him.
Three parishioners detailed Fr. Mohnickey's influence and support in their decisions to convert to Catholicism.
“I probably wouldn't have become Catholic if God hadn't put him in my life,” parishioner Wendy Redroad said.
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