| CURIA GENERALIZIA MARIANISTI Death Notice No. 14 (To all Unit Administrations): May 11, 2006 The Province of the United States of America recommends to our fraternal prayers our dear brother, NORBERT GEORGE MOELLERING, priest, who died in the service of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 5, 2006, in San Antonio, Texas, in the 91st year of his age and the 72nd year of his religious profession. Norbert Moellering was born September 23, 1915, in Florissant, Missouri, one of 10 children of Joseph and Gertrude (Gettemeir) Moellering. Norbert came from a family of religious, including an uncle who was a Jesuit priest and two aunts and five cousins who were Sisters of the Most Precious Blood. He attended grade school at Sacred Heart parish school in Florissant, where Sr. Dorothy Oldeg (sister of a Marianist brother) influenced his vocation. In 1930, he entered the postulate at Maryhurst in St. Louis and moved to the novitiate three years later. He professed first vows on August 15, 1934. Upon graduation from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, with a bachelor’s degree in Latin and English, he began his teaching career in Victoria, Texas, in 1937. He made final vows on August 11, 1938, at Chaminade College Preparatory in St. Louis and was assigned to McBride High School in St. Louis for the next two years. In 1940, he began the first of many assignments at Chaminade College Preparatory, where he taught Latin, history and English until 1943. He then entered the seminary at Saint Meinrad College in St. Meinrad, Indiana, and was ordained on June 11, 1946. After teaching at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio and Assumption High School in East St. Louis, Illinois, Fr. Norbert returned to Chaminade from 1961 to 1967, where he served as president and principal of the school. During this time, he initiated plans for the school’s Athletictron—a complex that included a pool, gym and school commons. He also was instrumental in the early years of an organization called “Wings of Hope,” which supplies planes to missionaries all over the world. The organization operates out of a hangar at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Missouri. When his tenure as president of Chaminade ended, he returned to Central Catholic as guidance director for five years and then chaired the guidance and religion departments for three years at Daniel J. Gross High School in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1975, he returned to Chaminade once again to teach religion and become the school’s development director. “Students loved his religion class,” said Jim Gerker, of Chaminade. “Even in his 70s, he was able to create a classroom environment relevant to teens, and they got a lot out of his class.” In addition to teaching and guidance counseling, Fr. Norbert’s gregarious and pastoral spirit led him also to serve as moderator for various student activities such as yearbook, student council and student newspaper, and as prefect of resident students and retreat director. For 20 years, he was adviser to Chaminade’s Mother’s Club and also worked with the Alumnae Mother’s Club. “I enjoyed all my years of teaching because they were connected with guidance and counseling. Even at Chaminade, when I was president, principal and director of the religious community, I was close to all the students,” said Fr. Norbert at his 70th jubilee. “ He was a true gentleman,” said Fr. Ralph Siefert, president of Chaminade. “He was supportive, and while he could be demanding, he never asked of others what he wouldn’t do himself. Until the end, he wrote letters to the Mother’s Club officers and others. He felt that was his ministry, and he never gave up. It’s very edifying.” Fr. Norbert was an officer in diocesan sodality groups in St. Louis, Belleville, Illinois, and San Antonio, and was on the board of directors of the St. Louis Chapter of the American Personnel and Guidance Association. He also belonged to national groups such as the Liturgical Conference and the Association of Secondary School Principals. He served on the St. Louis Provincial Chapter and offered clerical service to the sisters at St. Joseph Academy in St. Louis. Fr. Norbert held a master’s degree in education and guidance from Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in theology from Saint. Meinrad College. Jean Torrence, a former student and friend of Fr. Norbert’s for 65 years characterized him as “just a very natural, intelligent, beautiful and holy man. He was always positive and had something nice to say.” In 1992, Fr. Norbert officially retired from Chaminade but remained active in the school’s endowment fund activities and as the school’s archivist. For health reasons, Fr. Norbert moved to the Marianist Residence in San Antonio in 2000. In March 2006, just six weeks before his death, Fr. Norbert celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination. He died at the Marianist Residence Health Care Center in San Antonio of complications of old age. May he rest in Peace.
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