Fr. Alvin L. Herber, c . pp . s .
Fr. Phil Smith, c.pp.s., Atlantic Province
Fr. Alvin L.
Herber, c.pp.s.,
93, a member of
the Kansas City
Province, died
on October 12,
2017 at
St. Charles
Center in
Carthagena,
Ohio. Born
August 10,
Fr. Alvin Herber, c.pp.s.
1924 in Hessen
Cassel, Indiana, he was ordained in 1950 at St. Charles
Seminary in Carthagena.
With the exception of four years as Director of
Seminarians at St. Joseph College in Rensselaer,
Indiana and three years as chaplain and instructor at
Sacred Heart College in Wichita, Kansas, he served in
a variety of parishes during his many years of active
ministry. His longest term as pastor was at St. James
Parish in Liberty, Missouri where he oversaw the con-
struction of the present church, rectory, and school.
After 54 years of service to the Church and his com-
munity, he moved to St. Charles Center, Carthagena,
Ohio, where he resided until his death.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on
Tuesday, October 17th at St. Charles Center, Carthagena,
Ohio. Fr. Phil Smith, c.pp.s., who served with Fr. Herber
for a number of years at St. James Parish, preached.
What follows are excerpts from his homily.
To understand Al Herber, we go to our readings
today and both of them speak in a way about vision.
John takes us in his dream to that wonderful abid-
ing place where there will be no more tears, no more
sadness, no more pain, but only joy, happiness, and
peace. And then in the gospel we find Jesus assuring
his followers that his house has many dwelling places.
And even though at times we may not know the way,
he shows us, because he is the Way.
To understand Al Herber, I believe you must
understand first of all that he approached you as an
authority, as one who knew the answers. He was a
challenge—or as one parishioner in Liberty said, “He
was a hard nut to crack!” But another person shared
with me how she discovered a passionate and compas-
sionate heart beneath the seemingly hard exterior.
Al was a man who had his own conversion experi-
ence. While pastor in Garden City, Kansas he took part
in two events that I believe ultimately transformed
him. The hard shell began to crack. He went to Pecos,
New Mexico to make a retreat, and at that time began
to realize that one could be human and be in love with
Jesus—and share it without fear. During this same
period of time he took part in a Marriage Encounter.
He knew that he needed to change. Both experiences
allowed him to see that the more we are human the
more we realize that we are also divine.
Al always had an open heart, but also a vision.
And when he was transferred from Garden City to
Liberty, Missouri that vision became ever more real.
He was asked to build a new church. He was always
proud of the fact that the Missionaries of the Precious
Blood eventually staffed St. James. Whenever Fr. Al
came into the church, he wanted people to know that
we were Precious Blood Missionaries, so he often
wore the traditional cassock with the Mission Cross.
It got to the point where one parishioner said, “It’s
either a Precious Blood feast or he’s going to ask us
for more money!”
Jesus in the gospel said to his followers, “You know
where I’m going.” And Thomas said, “Lord, how can
we know the way. We don’t know where you are go-
ing.” When Al Herber was pastor at St. James, he built
the parish up and gave the parish a new spirit, a new
life. His heart, soul, mind, and body were dedicated to
the welfare of the people wherever he served. He was
a man who had a vision, a vision that the Church is
indeed the people of God. He believed very much in
the vision of Vatican II. He knew that the Church had
to have a change of heart. He himself came to realize
that he had to have a change of heart.
Al knew that he had to raise a lot of money to
build, and knew that they didn’t have the money,
so they had to borrow. After the place was built, he
used to say around 9:00 each evening, “It’s time to
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November 2017 • The New Wine Press • 3