Fr. Henry Rosenbaum, SAC: The love of Christ urges us to action

As a young boy in Dortmund, Germany, Fr. Henry Rosenbaum had a fairly keen awareness of his vocational calling, understanding it as soon early as the age of 5. His kindergarten was run by nuns, and he was an altar server by the age of 8, all influences that would come together to encourage his vocation. He was raised close to family, with both his parents coming from large families. However, these were dark times in German history: being a practicing Catholic under the Nazi regime was difficult, especially with a last name which sounded vaguely Jewish. ​The war brought more challenges and sorrows: his parish church of St. Joseph’s was bombed five or six days after his first communion, and burned to the ground along with the Rosenbaum home.

In 1948, still feeling a call at the age of 13, Fr. Rosenbaum spoke to his parish priest about the matter, and was directed to the minor seminary of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottine Fathers) at Rheinbach. His family was very supportive, and it was at this time that Fr. Rosenbaum’s musical career started. One day in schola rehearsal, the director was called away to say Mass in a small parish elsewhere for Sunday; Fr. Rosenbaum was thrown the books, and was told to conduct. Confidence in his musical abilities would come with time as he directed the choir more often, learned the violin (there were already too many pianists), and conducted the Byzantine Rite choir for one of the Pallotine Fathers who was ordained in the Byzantine Rite. Just before his matriculation, he was still unsure exactly if he was supposed to join the Pallottines. He met one of the priests who knew his family from when he was younger. The priest asked if he did anything to get to the Pallottine Fathers. Fr. Rosenbaum answered that he
was sent by the parish priest, and that he was told that joining the Pallottines would be the right thing to do. 

Ordained in 1962, Fr. Rosenbaum and another Pallottine Father arrived in Edmonton the next year. This companion later was recalled to Europe and became very helpful in the Pallotine generalate in Rome. Fr. Rosenbaum was to study and enter the teaching profession, first obtaining his BA from the University of Edmonton, and then beginning his B. Ed. in Edmonton before being transferred to Calgary. Upon graduation in 1967, he began his 15-year stint at St. Francis High School in Calgary, teaching Latin at first, and later English, German and History. Once Religion became an accredited course in schools, he switched to teaching Religion full time. He would be a supply priest for various parishes on Sundays, but found that teaching was a full-time ministry of its own!

During this time, Fr. Rosenbaum’s earlier musical training found a new flourishing as he directed the choirs at St. Boniface Parish and the German Club, and founded the German Canadian Male Chorus of Calgary. There were four men interested at the first meeting, and by the second meeting, eleven were present. The membership grew rapidly — at this point in time, it was very important to the people. In Germany at this time, every parish would have a choir to sing the Latin at the High Mass, but often people chose to go to Low Mass to sing German hymns. The German Canadian Male Chorus still rehearses regularly at St. Boniface Parish, and is still very active, although without Fr. Rosenbaum at the helm.

In 1982, the Pallottines reassigned Fr. Rosenbaum to Swan River, Manitoba, and its twelve mission parishes, where he would remain for seven years. Some of his work was among Indigenous Canadians, giving him insight into current events of today. After this, Fr. Rosenbaum returned to Calgary to re-establish the education department of the diocese, while also serving as assistant and pastor at St. Cecilia’s and St. Boniface Parishes in Calgary, as well as being State Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus for 2002 to 2014. 

As the oldest priest in the Diocese of Calgary still in active ministry, Fr. Rosenbaum remains devoted to the congregation at St. Boniface as it faces new challenges. Priests with full fluency in German are hard to come by in Calgary, and the congregation is certainly aging. 

When Pope Pius XII issued Exsul Familia in 1952, it envisioned parishes for minority linguistic groups in different lands being established for two generations; St. Boniface is now in its fourth generation. However, many of the parishioners still cling to the little church on Broadview Road, St. Boniface being their spiritual home. Certainly, Fr. Rosenbaum takes pride in the work he has
accomplished there, even in the building itself. The simple, striking stations and beautiful crucifix are from Oberammergau, and the War Memorial organ (dedicated to those who perished in war) was purchased for all of $5,000 from a Dutch organ company in Toronto (a real steal). Yet, there are questions of what is to happen to the parish in the hereafter, as St. Boniface may have to scale down its operations and be served by itinerant priests once or twice a month, like
many other linguistic groups. 

Throughout his priestly life, Fr. Rosenbaum’s life has been that of a true son of St. Vincent Pallotti, whose motto was “The love of Christ urges us to action”. Certainly, in his sixty years in active service as a priest, this has been evident, encouraging the lay faithful to greater apostleship through his work as a teacher, as a musical pioneer, in indigenous ministry, with the Knights of Columbus — the ways are countless. His advice to those discerning religious life is distinctly Pallottine: “Do you love other people? This is what God does — if we want to show our love to God and dedicate our lives to God, we have to show our love to people. Do you think in terms of service? Do you love to do service to other people?”

Indeed, this is what Fr. Rosenbaum has done for sixty full years, and truly, there is no doubt that the love of Christ will still urge him to action in his apostolate still to come. 

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Fr. Henry Rosenbaum, SAC
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​Ordained: 
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Pastoral Placements in the Diocese of Calgary:

• Study: 1966-1967
• Teacher: St. Francis High School (1967-1982)
• Reassigned to Swan River, MB (1982-1989)
• Provincial Delegate (1988-1993)
• Co-ordinator: Religious Education Secretariat (1989-1999)
• Assistant Pastor: St. Cecilia’s, Calgary (1993-1995)
• Pastor: St. Boniface, Calgary (1995-2001)
• Pastor: St. Cecilia’s, Calgary (2001-2005)
• Provincial Delegate (2004-2008)
• Administrator: St. Boniface, Calgary (2010-present)

Written by Solomon Ip for Faithfully