Not many people are aware that the Chapel and Cultural Center is not only a place of worship, but also the residence of Father Ed Kacerguis (affectionately known as Fred), Rensselaer’s coordinator of religious affairs. The other day, Father Ed and I had a short conversation in his neatly arranged kitchen before moving into the living room, which was dominated by bookcases filled with old-looking tomes and framing a fireplace.
Born in Bethlehem, Conn., Father Ed was raised in a rural community. "I went to school in another town because ours was so small. But most of the time if something had to be done [on the farm] in the afternoon after school, we might be called to help hay, pick vegetables, feed the chickens." he recalls.
Religion was part of Father Ed’s family life, so he didn’t think of it as anything extraordinary as a boy. However, it was very much a part of his life, as he attended a Catholic grammar school, a public high school, and then Providence College (a Catholic college in Rhode Island), where he studied history.
"I was going to be a history teacher. I’ve always been fascinated by history. I’m a C-SPAN junkie," chuckles Father Ed. After receiving his bachelor’s in 1964 and his master’s in 1965, he began to travel the country while working on his Ph.D. in English history at such places as Kent State, the University of Virginia, and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. However, after moving on to teaching and eventually priesthood, he never found the time to finish his doctoral degree. "I didn’t finish it, and I regret it. It’s too late," Father Ed remarks.
He taught for 10 years at the Hampton Institute in Virginia before entering the seminary. It was actually one of Father Ed’s students at Hampton who convinced him that the priesthood was his calling. "In his junior year, he had been talking about going to law school, but in his senior year, he came back from the summer and told me he was going into the Anglican Seminary. He told me I should be thinking about that, too," remembers Father Ed. At the time, Father Ed was 36 and it was uncommon for a person to enter the seminary at that age.
"I like academics, that’s why I’m here. It took a little bit of readjusting, but it was a delightful, uplifting experience. A whole new world was open to me," he said. He ascribes his positive experience to the quality of his teachers at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, in Baltimore, Md.
After being ordained in 1982, his first assignment was at Our Lady of Victory on Hoosick Street, where he remained for two years. "I was always hoping in the back of my head to get back into education, but at that time all the chaplaincies our diocese assigns people were filled," mentioned Father Ed. After that, he moved on to become a pastor in Amsterdam for a number of years, and subsequently administrator of St. Anthony’s in Schenectady for 18 months. It was at that time that his current job became available. "This position, which is an appointment from the Roman Catholic Diocese, was open. I applied for it and was chosen in 1989, and have been here ever since," he said, with a grin.
During his time at Rensselaer, Father Ed has found satisfaction in helping people get through life by talking out their problems. "When you see someone who is struggling, and you can help them in that struggle, and in the end they are free and a burden has been lifted, it’s tremendous," he said.
In closing, he offers the following advice; "Appreciate society and remember that we are a community, a global community. Don’t forget how interconnected we are. … Your gifts are not just for yourself, but for everybody. And whatever you do should be for the building up of the human family, and the relieving of the pain of that family. Always have the highest aspirations."
In his free time, Father Ed enjoys reading, swimming, traveling the world, and keeping up on current events. He can be reached at fred@rpi.edu.
Next week: Robert Baron, Interim Dean of the Lally School of Management & Technology
