NEWS

Father with many hats always has a story

By MICHAEL LEVESQUE
Posted 10/19/22

“Where’s the closet?” I asked when I entered his office at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick.

“What closet?” he asked.

“The closet with all your …

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NEWS

Father with many hats always has a story

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“Where’s the closet?” I asked when I entered his office at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick.

“What closet?” he asked.

“The closet with all your hats!” I replied.

He laughed and quickly replied “it’s at St. Kevin’s!”

And so goes a normal conversation with Reverend Father Robert L. Marciano, affectionately known as “Father Bob” to people far and wide.

I was only half-joking about the hats. Here’s a running list of them:

- President of Bishop Hendricken High School

- Pastor of St. Kevin Parish in Warwick with its kindergarten to 8th grade school

- Chaplain of the Providence Fire Department

- Chaplain of the Warwick Fire Department

- Chaplain of the Warwick Police Department

- Colonel (Retired) of the Rhode Island Air National Guard

- Past Command Chaplain for the RI National Guard which included both the Army and Air National Guard

Father Bob was also the “Chief of Chaplains” at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, administering the duties of over 330 Chaplains Assistants from all different denominations in the Air National Guard.

That’s enough to make your head spin, but to Father Bob it’s an easy equation. “I’m a Priest first and the reason I went to DC (for the position of Command Chaplain) is that they needed a Priest.” My basic duty is being a Priest to people who need me, and Chaplain is the reminder of the Holy.”

But in typical Father Bob fashion he told me a funny story (I refer to him affectionately as the Don Rickles of the Clergy).

Evidently, when the Providence Fire Department asked him if he would be their Chaplain during their annual Ball in 2010, Father asked the Chief in front of him “what’s your name?” The Chief replied “Dillon”, to which Father quickly replied with a grin, “I don’t work for Irish people!” When Chief Dillon shot back “Commissioner Pare wants you too!” Father, not missing a beat said “his mother is Italian. It’s OK.” Typical Father Bob.

Though his hat closet is full, Father Bob considers his President’s position at Hendricken his primary job. He said, “I come here every day after Mass” and views his mission to “make sure that the School’s Catholic identity is in front.” He sees the role as also working on “alumni retention and being the top supervisor of faculty and staff.”

The pride his has for the 700 students (all men) at Hendricken is clearly visible to anyone.

He further explained “Hendricken is the flagship school of the Diocese.” He considers its success based on “integrity, faith and hard work” with a bond that is “indescribable.”

As usual Father had a funny story to tell about his appointment by Bishop Thomas Tobin, whom he calls “very supportive.”

He explained that when the Bishop asked him to take the reins he replied “I will not give up St. Kevin’s” which was his labor of love to bring the congregation back alive and thriving.

He said the Bishop replied “you can do both”, to which Father retorted “are you trying to kill me?”

The Bishop, obviously liking this back and forth replied “yes, it will be a slow death!”

Ask anyone about Father Bob and you will either get a broad grin and a funny story, or a thoughtful, heartfelt story of how he comforted a family member or friend in the darkest hour of need.

I have my own story.

Shortly after I met Father, he invited me to come to Mass at St. Kevin’s sometime.

As fate would have it, we attended a memorial mass there a short time later.

Father, leading the procession down the main aisle at the beginning of the service saw my wife Celeste and I, briefly stopped the procession and said softly in my ear “Mike, if I knew you were coming to church today I would have scheduled a second collection!”

Typical Father Bob.

One of his classmates at Hendricken (Class of 1975), Tom Olivier, said it this way:

“With his great sense of humor, you knew he was headed for greatness. In later years he would say he got the religion answers off my tests, but we know that was not true.” Perhaps some day we will call him Monsignor Bob!”

And this from his pal, local attorney John Carroll:

“Having known him for 46 years, I observed him to be God’s servant and also serving our country in the US Air Force. He wears many hats and wears them well.” The boundless energy and enthusiasm is quite evident whether he shows up at a fire to support the Warwick Fire Department or counsels a young couple about their wedding ceremony. He is a servant of God and Country.”

If you’ve not yet met Father Bob, I think you will find him as we do: disarming, funny, not afraid to speak on issues that some find uncomfortable but he finds unwavering and is undoubtedly one of the most reverend priests that I have ever met in my life, with a love of the Priesthood and unmitigated zeal in serving God that is deeply refreshing in this day of increasing agnosticism.

Born on that aromatic piece of land that we call Federal Hill to Alfred and Mary Marciano, Father Bob’s parents took on extra jobs to send him and brother Alfred (a well-known local accountant) to Hendricken.

He of course had a story about his pathway to the Priesthood.

He told me that when he was in Seminary School after Hendricken, one of the Seminarians urged his classmates to be “careful of Bob. His dad’s a carpenter and his mother is named Mary … he thinks he’s the Messiah!”

Typical Father Bob.

Marciano, hats

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