Why a Servant Church?: An Autobiography by Father Ralph Kuehner

Father Ralph Kuehner was born in Scranton, PA on April 7, 1924. He attended the Josephinum seminary in Columbus, Ohio for high school, college and theology. After his ordination on June 3, 1950 he did graduate studies at Catholic University in DC (1950 - 1953) and the Biblical Institute in Rome (1953 - 1954). He has degrees in theology and scripture. Father Kuehner taught Biblical Greek and New Testament Interpretation at the Josephinum from 1954 to 1967. He became a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington in 1967. He was pastor at Our Lady of Victory in DC (1973 - 1983) and at St. Ambrose parish in Cheverly, MD (1983 - 1990). For the past 42 years Father Kuehner has been active in the world of social concerns. One aspect of that activity was being director of the Archdiocesan Office of Social Development twice (1970 - 1978; and 1996 - 2002). He was also very engaged in ecumenical and interfaith activities and he was one of the founders of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Washington (IFC) in 1979. In connection with the Council of Churches he helped set up community ministries in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. He serves now as vice-president of Gaithersburg HELP (GHELP), an organization that provides food, infant supplies and transportation to the residents of that area. Amazingly, GHELP has been operating since 1969 and has never had a paid staff person. All members of staff and board are volunteers. In 1970 Father Kuehner joined with some community leaders, especially Father Horace McKenna, SJ, to establish SOME (So Others Might Eat). At present SOME provides meals to some 900 persons daily. Victory Housing was started by Father Kuehner with help of three parishes, including Our Lady of Victory, providing housing for the poor and elderly. Sacred Scripture remains an important part of Father Kuehner’s life. He has taught Koine Greek at Catholic University. He has also taught Scripture courses for some 20 years for the Permanent Deacon program and for Trinity College’s Education for Parish Service program. He has co-authored three volumes of Living the Word, one volume for each of the Church’s three liturgical cycles which helps the reader understand the Sunday Mass readings. Finally, Father writes a Scripture column each Sunday for the bulletin at St. Francis of Assisi in Derwood, MD where he lives. While explaining the Sunday readings, he often points out that the readings promote the necessity of charity and justice.