As a Catholic homeschooler, I grew up attending daily Mass as often as possible. One day my brother (one of the only Altar servers at the church) did not make it to Mass and I ended up serving in his place. It sparked an interest in me; standing so close to the Tabernacle and actually getting to serve our Lord in the Mass. Altar Serving increased my understanding and love for the beautiful sacrifice I am honored to witness at every Mass.

Growing up my older brother and I spent hours reenacting the Mass with a small Tabernacle replica set. It was during these hours I learned the different parts of the Mass, names of the important artifacts, and how to Altar serve.

Mr. Rogachesky is the incredible man who taught us the parts of the Mass and demonstrated the beauty of showing love to God through acts of service.

Between teaching my family how to process goats, building us a pump house to protect our water pump from freezing, and volunteering his time to work with the Altar servers, Mr. Rogachesky’s good works for my family and our community demonstrated the works of Mercy we are all called to perform in our daily lives.

Throughout my years of Altar serving, Mr. Rogachesky would often come to us after Mass and hand us a dollar. He would always tell us to buy a Coke. The first few times my brother and I attempted to refuse as we had been taught to serve for God and not for money or praise, however, Mr. Rogachesky was quite determined and eventually it became a regular gift from him. He would always say “buy yourself a Coke” as he left the back room of the church.

To this day I can still hear his voice as he passed me the dollar bill. The impact his actions and presence in my life has done more for me than I could ever express. His wonderful, joyous smile will always remain in my memory as a comforting and loving sight.

Thomas Rogachesky: November 6, 1932 – November 23, 2014

J.M.J.