“I have been from one end of Route 11 to the other,” Father Philip Rogers likes to quip about his career, though it is not really a joke. In his 44 years of service to the diocese, he literally has worked in every county of the diocese that the route passes through—Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana.
Father Rogers retired on July 1. He most recently served as pastor of Christ Our Savior Parish in Struthers as well as dean of the Mahoning South Deanery, but his career has also included pastorates at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Boardman from 2007 to 2022, St. Nicholas in Struthers (now Christ Our Savior Parish) from 1996 to 2007, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Ashtabula (now Our Lady of Peace Parish) from 1992 to 1996 and St. Aloysius in East Liverpool (now Holy Trinity Parish) from 1990 to 1992. Before that, he also served as associate pastor at St. Rose Parish in Girard, St. Luke Parish in Boardman and St. Nicholas Parish.
“It has always been parish work [for me],” said Father Rogers. “There are never two days that are the same … I can honestly say I have enjoyed almost all of it. There were a few days I would gladly trade in, but they were far fewer.”
Father Rogers was born in 1954 and grew up in Poland. He was very young when Holy Family Parish was founded, and he recalls how deeply involved his parents and grandparents were, saying that some of the priests who served there wound up becoming family friends.
He graduated from Poland Seminary High School and went on to Youngstown State University, where he studied for two years before feeling the call and entering the seminary in 1974. He attended St. Gregory and Mount St. Mary of the West seminaries in Cincinnati, where he was chaplain at Good Samaritan Hospital and did his diaconate internship at St. William Parish in Champion.
He graduated and was ordained to the priesthood on June 21, 1980, in St. Columba Cathedral by Bishop James Malone.
Throughout his career—which has also included stints on the diocesan Priests Council, the diocesan Board of Education, the Youth Convention Planning Team and the Priest Personnel Board—he says that working with people was the most rewarding for him.
“I enjoyed … being involved in the lives of people in their moments of triumph—weddings and new babies and new grandbabies. And in their moments of sadness—a lot of funerals and marital breakups along the way,” he said. “All of those years, in all of those parishes, I have only the best memories of all of those people.”
In retirement, Father Rogers looks forward to traveling—he plans to visit England for the first time at the end of October and suspects that his sister, who lives in Florida, will be “seeing me more than she ever wanted to,” but he also is eager to find volunteer opportunities and continue celebrating Mass.
“I tell everyone the reason I [looked forward] to retirement is that if the toilet is not running and the custodian can’t be found, I’m not the one that [parish staff] will be turning to, saying, ‘What do we do?” Father Rogers said with a laugh. “I will be happy to assist in any way I can … I just don’t want to be in charge. I don’t want to be responsible for anyone but myself, and that’s quite a charge as it is.”
Tune in to the Catholic Echo podcast on Sunday, July 28, to hear an interview between Father Rogers, Father Thomas and Catholic Echo editor Katie Wagner.
