Priest's autobiography reveals many roles in life

At the age of 45, he added another: diocesan priest.

Since his ordination in 1982, Father Severson has been involved in various forms of parish and prison ministry throughout the Albany Diocese and currently serves as chaplain at Mount McGregor Correctional Facility in Wilton.

New role

Born in 1936, he was the youngest of Charles and Rose Severson's five children. After graduation from high school, he spoke with Rev. George Egan, OSA, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, about his desire to become an Augustinian, which led to his decision to enter the Augustinian Academy on Staten Island one year later. But he remained in the seminary for only a little more than a year, leaving in order to be closer to his ill father in Hoosick Falls.

Richard began working as an officer in the village police department, then as a member of the volunteer fire department. He eventually became involved in the Boy Scouts. He also was instrumental in getting the fire department's rescue squad started; in fact, the first ambulance was a 1947 Cadillac that was kept in his father's garage.

Politics

That job meant that he was within walking distance of St. Anthony's and St. Mary's churches, where he attended Mass daily and received the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

His commute from Hoosick Falls to his Troy job gave him plenty of time to meditate. Work, politics and other activities kept him busy and in touch with many people, but he didn't realize that he was being called by God for greater purposes.

"While I was reaching out to others, I failed to recognize that God was reaching out to me," he writes. "I was talking the talk about God, but not walking the walk with that God."

Call from God

He heard a voice say to him, "Come follow me, and I will give you thousands of children."

It took Richard several months to understand that God was referring to children in a spiritual sense, and that the priesthood was his calling.

He was ordained in 1982 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, an event he describes in his book in this way:

"The victory of winning any one of the five elections for village government, the election to any of the many offices that I had belonged to, the joy of finally getting my license to drive and taking that first drive alone, the day of First Communion or Confirmation, high school graduation, college graduation, being installed as Lector, Acolyte or ordained a Deacon, all fell short of ordination to the priesthood."

That priesthood began with an eight-year stint as associate pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (now St. Mary/St. Paul's Church) in Hudson Falls.

In 1985, he also began serving as chaplain at Washington Correctional Facility in Comstock. After leaving Immaculate Heart and taking up residence at St. Joseph's rectory in Greenfield Center in 1990, he was appointed full-time chaplain at Mount McGregor, where he continues to serve.

In print

"If someone can read it and hear a calling in their life, what price do you put on a vocation?" Father Severson asked.

("The Road to the Office of Mayor and the Spiritual Path to Priest" is on sale at William B. O'Connor Church Goods, Inc., in Latham; Thorpe's Pharmacy in Hoosick Falls; and McCann's Pharmacy in Hudson Falls. Father Severson will sign copies of his autobiography on Nov. 14 at St. Mary/St. Paul's in Hudson Falls.)

(11-12-98) [[In-content Ad]]