Every time my wife talked to Fr. Dennis, it brightened her day.  It was the same thing after the homily in church.  Everyone listened to what he had to say and when they left Mass, they felt so much better. 

When you consider the life he had, I know God saved him from the war for us.  He did not understand why his best friend was killed beside him and God let him live.  His best friend had a wife and a baby on the way.  He was killed and Fr. Dennis lived.  It was for us.  He had that special spirit and that is why we tried to go to Mass in Blackstone once a year.  It was a long ride from Clinton, but we talked about him all the way back. The pastor of St. John’s in Clinton mentioned that Saints are regular people and all made mistakes and I put Fr. Dennis Rocheford in this category. 

When I was in the Navy, I met a lot of real good chaplains, but there was only one Fr. Dennis and in the 74 years that I have been alive, I never met a priest that was the caliber of Fr. Dennis.  He had a charisma about him and that smile was infectious.  Just to meet him as a Navy Commander with all his decorations, medals and ribbons was an honor.  You not only thanked him for his service, but felt you were in the presence of a gift from GOD.  Personally, I will pray for him and to him. 

Robert L. Champagne, Jr.