Filipino priest beloved by parishioners, family

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

He loved Mardi Gras, beignets, the LSU Tigers, the New Orleans Saints and his parishioners at St. Genevieve Parish in Slidell as much as he loved his family and friends in his native Philippines.

Father Jose Roel Lungay, a priest for 39 years, died recently in Mandeville at 63 years old. A Funeral Mass was celebrated March 8 at St. Genevieve by Archbishop Gregory Aymond, Archbishop Emeritus Alfred Hughes and fellow priests. 

In attendance were Father Lungay’s family, traveling from California, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas. Those from his native Philippines and elsewhere participated by livestream. 

Vita Lim, 85, his dad’s sister, was among his family present, as was his cousin Malu Lungay from California.

“I remember him most from his love of music,” Lungay said. “He composed music.”

Tears of gratitude were shed in the words of remembrance by family members who read letters from family members not able to attend.  They assured parishioners how Father Lungay loved them, considering them his “second family. He loved the time he spent serving the parish of St. Genevieve. He was blessed to have two worlds he loved,” one family member said, also thanking others who helped him before, during and after his kidney transplant and other ailments over the years.

Beloved by priests, people
Father Gerald Seiler, a concelebrant at the Funeral Mass, knew he had big shoes to fill when he became pastor in 2020 after Father Lungay retired and moved to Rouquette Lodge, an archdiocesan Christopher Homes’ retirement residence in Mandeville.

“He was so devoted and loved this community so much,” Father Seiler said. “You could tell he enjoyed life, even with his health. He was always joyful, and that was always contagious to the community.”

He was also loved at Rouquette Lodge. 

“Father Roel did a wonderful job in retirement at Rouquette Lodge,” said former Christopher Homes director, Deacon Dennis Adams. “He was very dedicated to that. He celebrated weekday Masses and the Saturday Vigil,” and was concerned about who would celebrate Mass there when he traveled to the Philippines. 

“He was a very humble priest,” said St. Genevieve Deacon Dan Haggerty Jr. “He was very concerned about ministering to the people of the parish. I think they embraced him wholeheartedly, and he embraced them, too. He was a servant priest.”

Parishioners were devoted to him. In fact, they took care of him as his kidneys failed and he endured dialysis, and one even donated a kidney, which prolonged his life.

The parish supported him throughout. 

“They truly loved him,” Deacon Haggerty said, “and he was very aware of parishioners’ needs. He ministered to them honestly and would reach out to them when things were going on, and they him.”

“He was part of our community from Day 1,” said Edolia Barros, a longtime St. Genevieve parishioner who  related how he started morning coffees with parishioners to get to know them and encouraged the regulars to keep it going during his illness. “He was very easy to relate to, easy to talk to. He treated everybody the same; everybody was equal in his sight. As a priest, he was a very spiritual person. He related the daily readings to our daily life and taught us how to apply them accordingly.”

Father Lungay also had a strong connection with youth, working with Mary’s Mondays youth rosary group at St. Philip Neri in Metairie as associate pastor. He made rosaries to help send youth to Medjugorje and accompanied them on one of the trips.

“He strengthened my faith just by being with us and praying the rosary,” said Ruby Kirsch, director of religious education and former kindergarten teacher at St. Philip Neri. He went on to be associate pastor at St. Rita in Harahan and Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Chalmette, and finally pastor at St. Genevieve.

He baptized two of her grandchildren and concelebrated at a son’s wedding and her husband Cyril’s funeral. 

“He was just incredible,” Kirsch said. “What a loss to us all.”

Loved God, parish, music
His fellow priest and friend, Father Joel Cantones, delivered the homily and mentioned his devotion to the priesthood and St. Genevieve parishioners. 

“How many people did Father Roel touch during his 39 years of priesthood?” Father Joel Cantones asked during the homily, urging everyone to seek to embrace the simple joys in life as Father Roel did. “How many people did he bring to Jesus through his gift of the priesthood? There are a lot.”

Father Lungay shared his priestly ministry of Word and sacrament with his people.

“We know that Father Roel – ‘Fro’ – will be missed from this life, but we also know this is not the end of his story,” Father Cantones said. “As Christians, we believe that death is just the beginning of a new life to come in the kingdom of God. It is only in dying that we are born to eternal life. Heaven is the goal for all of us. That is our going home.”

Father Cantones communicated Father Lungay’s love for the Blessed Mother and his penchant for liturgical music and even sang a few songs, including one he wrote that won first place in a Nashville writing contest called “Dear Jesus” that defined his strong faith and faith of God, “trusting him in the midst of his suffering.” Father Cantones, with those at Mass joining in, also sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” one of Father Lungay’s favorites, and “The Way We Were” to prove he would never be forgotten. 

Father Lungay considered himself a “Creole baby” by adoption and requested to be buried in Slidell because of how parishioners cared for and never forgot their deceased loved ones.

“I told father we would never forget him,” Barros said.” He had kindness, compassion and generosity in his heart. … He was such a good person through and through.”

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