Fr. Ray Goetz celebrates Mass at the Motherhouse Chapel at Mount Saint Joseph. He retired from serving as chaplain in Maple Mount on Sept. 30, 2026. COURTESY OF MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH
Fr. Ray Goetz says goodbye after 16 years at the Mount
BY DAN HECKEL, MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH
Fr. Ray Goetz walked into the Rainbow Room of Saint Joseph Villa on Sept. 28, 2026, and with his trademark sense of humor said, “I don’t know how to act. Everyplace else I’ve left, they had the party afterward.”
After 16 years as the chaplain at Mount Saint Joseph – the second longest consecutive tenure of any priest – Fr. Goetz retired, with his last Mass on Sept. 30.
The Ursuline Sisters had a party for Fr. Goetz on Sept. 28 to share their thoughts and appreciation. The sisters filled a basket with cards, and watched a video of his time at the Mount. Among the visitors were two Vietnamese sisters, a Franciscan sister, Fr. John Vaughan, and the man who replaced Fr. Goetz, Fr. John Okoro.
Sr. Sharon Sullivan, congregational leader, said she first encountered Fr. Goetz when she was academic dean at Brescia University, where he was teaching theology part time.
“I was asked if it was possible to split you in three pieces – one-third teaching theology at Brescia, one-third pastoring St. Alphonsus, and one-third at Mount Saint Joseph,” Sr. Sharon said. “That was 16 years ago, and that one-third has grown into so much more. You’ve shared your rich faith, your spirituality, and your deep conversations. And you harvested and shelled all those black walnuts. Many walking sticks have blossomed thanks to you. We have been deeply enriched by your presence among us.”
Sr. Mary Matthias Ward recalled that she was leaving community leadership in 1996 and accepted a position at the Newman Center at Murray State University.
“Two days later the bishop called and asked me to consider also being the administrator at St. Leo Church in Murray,” she said. “He said, ‘I want to send Fr. Ray there, but he won’t go without an administrator.’ We worked together for seven years, then I moved to New Mexico. I think Ray visited me every year I was there. We’ve been friends for 30 years. I will miss you greatly.”
Fr. Goetz is known for his skill as a homilist. Sr. Ruth Gehres praised him for the Masses he’s led.
“I’ve been amazed and grateful for your fidelity to the Liturgy,” she said. “It is the center of our life, and you are aware of that. We are all grateful for that.”
Sr. Vivian Bowles said, “You are one of the most giving people I have ever known.”
When Sr. Judith Nell Riney said she still had the homilies that Fr. Goetz wrote for both of her parents’ funerals, he replied, “Your mom and my mom were best friends.” Fr. Goetz’s mother, Mary Blandford Goetz, graduated from Mount Saint Joseph Academy in 1937. She was among the first people to be named a recipient of the Maple Leaf Award, which honors graduates who personified the values of their Mount Saint Joseph education.
Fr. Goetz told all those gathered that he appreciated their comments.
“I’m very grateful for you and what you do,” he said. “I tell people, ‘It’s the best job in the diocese.’ When people ask, ‘Are you taking care of the nuns?’ I say, “No, they take care of me.”
Originally published online on Sept. 29 by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in Maple Mount, Ky.
