Joseph Herzog

D Vautier
2/2/2013

There are several people that have greatly influenced my life.  One of these individuals was Joseph A. Herzog, or whom I always knew as Fr. Herzog, since he was at that time a priest and member of the Salesians and taught music at Don Bosco College in Newton, NJ.  I first met him in 1960 when I was a novice at the seminary in Newton studying for the priesthood.  I took vows for three years in 1961 but I left the order in 1964 and soon after that joined the army and got on with my life as lives tend to get on with.  Later I corresponded with Fr. Herzog on numerous occasions in order to get my credits transfered; see here and here.

It was not until 25 years later that I was able to catch up with him after he had left the priesthood; see here and here.

Fr. Herzog left a lasting impression on me for a number of reasons.  The most important was his gift of music.  He was by default I suppose, the go-to college music guy and again by default got to direct the college choir, orchestra and all other things music and liturgical at the college.  The Salesians have always been a musical bunch, perhaps because of their origins in Italy and because of the organization's founder, Don Bosco who was an exceptional man and himself a talented musician.  Since my whole life seemed to revolve around music and since my only decent asset then was a fair set of pipes and a good ear, I tended to gravitate toward the man because he represented to me the very personification of the art.  As far as any other musical talents that I may have had, lets just say I at best struggled toward mediocrity.

He was a mysterious man too.  He had deep set piercing eyes and such an ability to mystify.  He had rich wavy dark brown hair and a reassuring smile.  And his stories of how he got out of Czechoslovakia, and how he as a small boy had happened to hear a rally by Hitler in 1939 and how the force and ferocity of Hitler frightened him so.

Joe was also modest although that idea has lost its meaning to us today.  He never took credit for what was not his doing and even for the stuff that was a direct result of his efforts.  When the choir performed well he actually displayed a true and sincere modesty.

I have never been able to sleep well and my days at the seminary were no exception.  Some nights I would go up to Fr. Herzog's room and knock on the door and we would take walks around the lake while I would babble on about the troubles of the world.  And there was his restlessness like something was gaining on him.  I had the same feeling too.      

In early 1964 while at the seminary my life kind of fell apart and I went into a deep state of dispair. I dropped out of the orchestra and choir, which was so strange, and I began to feel that nobody could sing on key.  They never did find another bassoon player.  It was then that I begged Fr. Herzog to become my confessor and he did so.  During my stay at camp in June I told him that I did not want to continue at the college.  Fr. Herzog said it would be a wise decision.  That was the best advise anybody ever gave me because it was such a hard decision.

So Thanks Joe.  You were the best friend anybody could have.

I only have a few pictures of Fr. Herzog. This was taken from a group picture of the Don Bosco College staff in 1962.

OBIT

Joe Herzog was born in Sastin, Slovakia in 1928 and came to the United States in 1953. He was preceded in death by his parents Augustin & Elizabeth Herzog, and his wife Marty Herzog. He is survived by his two sisters Mary Stacha and Gusti Palkovic, and his two daughters Jen Bleizeffer (Jason) & Mimi White (Patrick), and six grandchildren. Joe was laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs on February 23rd, 2013.

My brother was a Son of Mary (delayed vocation).  The single person in the middle is Fr. Herzog.