To Fulfill a Vow

To Fulfill A Vow

Father Roy Thelen had been a priest of the Diocese of Spokane for 33 years when he wrote a letter to Bishop Bernard Topel asking to retire to Lourdes, France. He desired to serve at the shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary and keep a vow he had made. A Wisconsin native, Fa- ther Thelen attended Yale University. There, he earned an undergraduate degree in classical lit- erature, which would later secure himself the nickname “Doc” among his fellow priests. After graduating from Yale, Father Thelen entered the seminary and was ordained in 1937. He found himself in Spokane, where he served in many capacities throughout the diocese. Father Thelan was pastor at several parishes, both in the city and in rural communities. His first assignment was at Sacred Heart Parish in Spokane, but he also served at parishes in Tekoa, Rockford, Valley, Jump-off-Joe, Harrington, Odessa and Ritzville. He also served at the Spokane parishes of Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Joseph on Dean, St. Mary, and St. Ann.

Outside of parish work, Father Thelen served as the Rural Life director for the diocese and later as the director for Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). He spent time serving as secretary to Bishop Charles White and briefly as Chancellor of the Diocese. He taught religion at both Marycliff High School and Holy Names Academy.

Father Thelen was an avid poet submitting verses to the Inland Register, the diocesan weekly newspaper. Under the pen name “Lancelot Le Doux,” he submitted his poetry to the Spokane Chronicle evening edition newspaper’s Northwest Verse section.

In 1964, Father Thelen was the subject of some curious national media attention regarding his mountaineering adventures. Once, during an attempt to summit Mt. Hood in Oregon after sundown, Father Thelen found himself stuck and was forced to descend on a path he had not intended to take. He fell precipitously down the mountainside at breakneck speed, coming to rest nearly 2000 feet further down the mountain. Somewhat miraculously, Father Thelen suffered no major injuries. He did, however, face three days in the wilderness without food. Slowly, he managed to find his way back to civilization. In his own account of the incident for the Inland Register, Father Thelen concluded with thanksgiving to Our Lord and to the Blessed Virgin, saying “I thank our Lord and Mary for bringing me safely back, and I am sure my guardian angel worked overtime in breaking my fall from Breakneck Ridge.” 

The same year as Father Thelen’s fall on Mt. Hood, he suffered a stroke that landed him in Sacred Heart Hospital for seven weeks. At the time, he was 58 years old and only seven years from retirement. He was facing the real possibility of not being able to return to his ministry. While hospitalized, Father Thelen promised the Blessed Virgin Mary he would serve in France. In the letter he wrote to Bishop Topel, Father Thelen described his promise:

“I promised our Lady, if she would ‘get me back on my feet’ that in 7 years, (at the age of 65), I would go to Lourdes, France, permanently, to serve her and wait on the sick there, in whatever capacity I could.”

In 1971, Father Thelen fulfilled the promise he had made seven years before. His time in Lourdes was not always easy. He often had disagreements with priests he resided with and with the sisters who managed the house. Money was tight, often due to his retirement check being delayed in international mail. According to one sister, who would write home to her family about her brother, Father Thelen was overly generous with the poor in Lourdes. Despite the difficulties he experienced, Father Thelen was true to his word. He served at the shrine of Our Lady in Lourdes until his death on October 24, 1977.

Initially, it was noted that Father Thelen was buried in the municipal pauper’s grave in Lourdes, but it was unclear to the Diocese of Spokane precisely where this was. A resident of Eastern Washington, while on a trip to Lourdes, visited three cemeteries and was able to locate his place of burial. Two priests of the diocese who served with Father Thelen, Father Terence Tully and Father Edward Kowrach, worked successfully to have his body moved to the clergy cemetery at the Lourdes Shrine. Recently, while on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, several priests of the diocese found Father Thelen’s grave. They submitted the pictures that accompany this article. Father Thelen, who often signed his letters “In Our Lord and Mary,” was a faithful servant of the Church and of the Blessed Mother. For those who have the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes and wish to offer prayers at Father Thelen’s grave, the location is Oeuvre de la Grotte, 13 Rue de l’Egalite 65100 Lourdes.

The snowy Pyrenees look mildly down
Upon a quaint and hibernating town,
Protecting in its midst a well-known place.

A mist-like fog has gone; the sun shines bright;
This sacred spot becomes a lovely sight;
And Church bells ring with true-toned, swinging grace.

The Mass is in the higher Church above,
Where pious townsfolk flock with all their love,
And tourists too, attracted by the bells.

The vested choir-boys begin to sing,
In French and Latin, people following,
As with appealing notes the organ swells.

This is a scene one never will forget.
Deep gratitude is due to sweet Bernadette,
For bringing to the Grotto such a Queen.

Our Lady fills the holy atmosphere;
She aids the ones disturb’d who visit here,
And gives their souls the strength to leave, serene.

The formal pilgrimages start in spring,
When the throbbing life is found in ev’rything.
With hope for miracles has risen high.

And yet, the baths are open, day by day;
In winter, too, as people come to pray.
She knows the Lord will never pass them by.

(Written by Father Roy Thelen, Lourdes, France)