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Rev. Walter Debold
From the Star-Ledger, 12/13/06
From the Setonian
Eulogy by Father Debold's Niece, Kate Debold
From Cult Observer Profile
Message to ICSA that Father Debold Wanted to be
Sent After His Death
Comments from members of the ICSA community -
received unsolicited after word of Father
Debold's death began to circulate via e-mail
The late Fr. Walter Debold was Assistant Professor of
Religious Studies at Seton Hall University in
South Orange, New Jersey. A member of Cultic
Studies Review editorial board, Fr. Debold lectured and
wrote widely about cult issues
for more than 25 years.
DEBOLD Rev. Walter Debold Seton Hall asst.
professor of religious studies Army captain and
chaplain, National Guard major, 90 Rev. Walter
Debold, 90, of South Orange died Sunday, Dec.
10, 2006, in Saint Barnabas Medical Center,
Livingston. Relatives and friends are invited to
attend a Mass of Christian Burial at the Main
Chapel at Seton Hall University, 400 South
Orange Ave., South Orange, on Thursday, Dec. 14,
at 10:30 a.m. Interment is in St. Peters
Cemetery, Belleville. Rev. Debold will lie in
state at the Main Chapel on Wednesday from 2 to
5 and 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Evening Prayer for the
Office of the Dead will be held at 7:30 p.m.
Arrangements are by the Preston Funeral Home,
South Orange. For more information or to send
condolences, please visit
prestonfuneralhome.net. Born in Newark, Rev.
Debold lived in South Orange for 33 years. A
graduate of St. Benedicts Prep High School in
Newark, he received a B.A. from Seton Hall
University in 1938, an M.A. in Theology,
Liturgical Studies from Notre Dame University in
Indiana in 1966, and an M.A. in Asian Studies
from Seton Hall University in 1981. He was
ordained as a priest in 1942 from the Immaculate
Conception Seminary, Darlington. Rev. Debold
served as a captain in the U.S. Army from 1944
to 1947, where he was also chaplain, and served
as a major in the National Guard from 1948 to
1953. He was an assistant professor in the
Department of Religious Studies at Seton Hall
University since 1973. Rev. Debold was the
beloved son of the late Walter M. and Irene
Debold; devoted brother of Anna I. O'Neill,
Joseph E. Debold and his wife, Kathleen, and the
late M. John and Robert E. Debold, and also
survived by many nieces and nephews. In lieu of
flowers, donations to the Immaculate Conception
Seminary at Seton Hall University, 400 South
Orange Ave., South Orange, N.J. 07079 would be
appreciated.
Monsignor Richard Liddy
It is hard for me
to realize that Father Walter Debold is gone. It
was only last Friday at lunch when I asked him
if I could give his name to a psychiatrist in
Washington who wanted to talk to a Catholic
priest who knew something about new religious
cults. Debold had studied the phenomena for
years. I wonder if the doctor got through to him
before Sunday morning.
Debold lived above
me in Xavier Hall for the last number of years
and I would regularly invite him in to speak to
my “Religious Dimension of Life” class. He was
always very interesting and the students loved
him.
He would come into
the classroom with a pillow case filled with
“show and tell” items from his long life’s
experience. Whether it was a piece of rock from
a wall in Jerusalem, or a something from a
cathedral in France, or something from his many
years as a parish priest, or a memento from his
chaplaincy in a prisoner of war camp in the
Philippines, his message was always interesting.
When I mention the
memento from the Philippines prisoner of war
camp, I hasten to add that the war in question
was World War II. Debold served as a chaplain
toward the end of the war.
One of his classic
stories was the dying Japanese soldier whom he
befriended and who told him shortly before he
died that he wished to be baptized a Christian.
“But I need a Christian saint’s name,” the man
said to him. “How about ‘Walter?’” Debold said.
The man agreed,
was baptized, and shortly thereafter passed to
the Lord. “I always felt,” Debold said, “that my
friend was pronouncing my name very clearly to
the Lord!” the soldier left a little memento
with Debold, which he kept in a box and showed
to us as he told that story.
And so it was – he
always had interesting stories and quotes to
share. He was a great “raconteur.”
Let me mention one
incident from a couple of months ago. In
September Debold celebrated his 90th birthday.
That night Father John Dennehy and I were in my
room in Xavier Hall when we heard that the
hallway above us, the sixth floor, would be
celebrating Debold’s birthday with a cake. So
John and I went upstairs to join the party.
When all on the
hallway were assembled, Debold came slowly out
of his room wearing his sweatpants and a
sweatshirt. About forty to fifty residents
gathered to greet him and they serenaded him
with a loud version of “Happy Birthday to You.”
Afterwards Debold said to the students, “Well
now you’ve got to do something for me. I’m
passing around a notepad and I want everyone to
write down their name on it, where they’re from,
and what their major is.”
And when the
notepad was given back to him, he proceeded to
recognize each one present, comment on what he
knew of their hometown or region – whether
California or Paramus – and then comment very
knowledgeably about their major: communications,
political science, diplomacy, etc.
It was so
enjoyable and such a tour de force that all the
residents gave him a thunderous applause when he
finished. It was wonderful to see a man, a
priest, relating person-to-person to people 70
years younger!
So we will miss
Walter’s smiling face, the twinkle in his eye,
his walker, his jokes, his incisive comments on
world affairs, etc. he had strong convictions on
faith and human life and perhaps those kept him
always young at heart. I think he would have
liked the idea of slipping off peacefully to the
Lord at the end of Mass in our Seton Hall Chapel
last Sunday morning. May he rest in peace.
Msgr. Richard
Liddy can be reached at
liddyric@shu.edu.
Reprinted with
permission.
Fr. Walt was a
priest, a teacher, and a scholar and he was my
uncle. Our family was incredibly blessed to have
him in our lives.
The capital
campaign underway at Seton Hall is fittingly
named Ever Forward. If ever two words applied to
one man, it was Fr. Walt. He saw so much change
in his lifetime and always embraced the road
ahead. Here was a man of ninety years of age who
communicated w/ his nieces, nephews and great
nieces and nephews via email. Here was a man
with poor hearing and a body and legs tiring of
use who was overjoyed the day his new scooter
came this fall, forgetting completely of his
track star days.
I am grateful for
a lifetime of memories with Fr. Walt. Summer
mass at Virginia Avenue and before our
Thanksgiving feasts. All the hours he spent at
our dining room table updating us on his news
and boasting about his students, and telling
stories, lots of stories.
In 1916, the year
Fr. Walt was born, Robert Frost published a poem
you may recognize. It concludes,
“…I shall be
telling this with a sigh
somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.
When I think of
Fr. Walt’s decision to become a priest, I think
of that poem and how many lives he touched. He
led us in nearly all of the religious events of
our lives. ...My brother Joe reminded me
yesterday that when my two-year-old nephew was
sick and hospitalized for three months in NYC,
Fr. Walt went to see him every day without fail.
…He met us on the path of Christianity at each
of the guideposts and even in between.
It was the “in
betweens” on that path that he chose the role of
teacher. In 1998 I moved to Prague for a
teaching assignment. Fr. Walt was thrilled to
hear the news. Almost immediately he began
making plans to visit me. You see he had once
attempted to visit Prague in the 60’s while it
was still under communist rule and was denied
entry because he was a priest. And so in 1998,
at the age of eighty-two, he seized the
opportunity to return. He was so pleased to be
going, he wanted everyone to know it. He mailed
dozens of postcards from Prague with the same
message. The message read, “Imagine!”
Those four days
touring the sights of Prague with my uncle were
amazing. I worried for his safety on the
cobblestone streets, trams and metros, and he,
with his cane, concerned himself with exploring
all there was to see. Imagine! …We came upon Old
Town Square for the first time and he guided me
over to the great statue of Jan Hus where he
proceeded to instruct me on the life of the
brilliant theologian. It was one of many
opportunities I was granted into the insights of
his brilliant mind.
Recently Fr. Walt
shared with me an outline for a book he had been
contemplating, “Design for a Mind”, each chapter
dedicated to one of his favorite quotes, each
chapter tied to the human experience and the
mystery of God. Unfortunately, time was not on
his side. His marvelous thoughts go with him but
I will fondly remember that discussion and his
response when I read James Joyce’s name on the
list. “Yes!” he exclaimed and immediately
recited:
“Welcome, O
Life; I go for the millionth time to the
reality of experience,
there to forge in the smithy of my soul the
conscience of my race.”
Fr. Walt’s ability
to move around became increasingly difficult.
And on one of my last visits, when it was
obvious he was having difficulty standing up, he
smiled and said, “I wish you knew me when I was
young.” I wished I did too but it occurred to me
afterwards that I would have missed a great
lesson, learning how to grow old with dignity.
Not long ago, he
sent me a beautiful prayer by Fr. Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin, one of his favorite
theologians. Here is an excerpt:
“When the
signs of age begin to mark my body… O God,
grant that I may understand that it is you
(provided only my faith is strong enough)
who are painfully parting the fibers of my
being in order to penetrate to the very
marrow of my substance and bear me away
within yourself.”
Ever forward.
Fr. Walt, I hope
heaven is filled with the green hills and
valleys of your imagination and your legs have
returned to those of your younger years. Thank
you for all the beautiful memories. We have been
truly blessed and will be forever grateful.
From a profile in Cult Observer,
Vol. 6, No. 2 1989, p. 16
Since graduation from Seton Hall University
in 1938, Rev. Debold's journey has taken him
from ordination and an army chaplaincy in the
western Pacific during World War 11, to service
in church parishes and an M.A. in Theology at
Notre Dame (and another in Asian Area Studies
from Seton Hall), to his present position at his
alma mater teaching about world religions, the
religious dimension in life, and the freedom of
man. The last decade has seen a particular focusing
of Rev. Debold's intellectual interest and
pastoral concern on cults. Since the late 70s,
he has lectured widely in adult education
courses and to youth groups - within Catholic,
Protestant, and Jewish communities alike - about
the hazards of destructive cults. He has also
organized conferences on the issue for clergy of
both the Brooklyn (NY) and Newark (NJ) Roman
Catholic Archdioceses as well as for seminarians
of the Newark Archdiocese. Rev. Debold is a recent contributor to "Cults,
Sects, and the New Age," edited by fellow AFF
Advisory Committee member Rev. James LeBar.
Totally on his own account, Rev. Debold has
published on cults in The Journal of Dharma
(Bangalore, India), and in AFF's Cult Observer
and Cultic Studies Journal. He is currently
preparing a "pre-conference" session for clergy
on the occasion of next October's Cult Awareness
Network national convention. He is in fact
associated with the New York/New Jersey
affiliate of CAN and the representative of the
Newark Archdiocese on the New York Interfaith
Coalition of Concern About Cults, the first such
interfaith association in the United States. Apart from what he refers to as his "cult
involvement," Rev. Debold is a trustee of the
Citizens' Committee for Biomedical Ethics, and
was recently asked to testify twice in murder
trials as an expert witness opposed to capital
punishment.
The Debold family sent ICSA a letter saying
that he had asked them to send us the following
reflections after his death.
As sun reflected sometimes dazzles sight -
Suddenly in the midst of conversation
as I was sitting amongst friends at night
Jerusalem outlined in lights below -
my mind was dazzled by the thought of you
and I was glad, not out of calculation
because of what might come to me through you
but glad that you exist and that I know.
Prayer for the Grace to Age Well
When the signs of age begin to mark my body
(and still more when they touch my mind);
when the ill that is to diminish me or carry me
off
strikes from without or is born within me;
When the painful moment comes in which I
suddenly awaken
to the fact that I am ill or growing old;
and above all at that last moment
when I feel I am losing hold of myself
and am absolutely passive within the hands
of the great unknown forces that have formed me;
in all those dark moments, O God,
grant that I may understand that it is you
(provided only my faith is strong enough)
who are painfully parting the fibres of my being
in order to penetrate to the very marrow
of my substance and bear me away within
yourself. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ
Unsolicited Comments
from Members of the ICSA Community
This week, in my faith,
Judaism, we are introduced to the character of
Moses: Moses, our leader, Moses our teacher.
Twice in the Bible he is referred to as the
man, Moses. In a few weeks we will read that
the man Moses went out to meet and greet
his father-in-law Jethro. He bowed and kissed
him. That is saying a great deal about the man
who was the leader of the Exodus and The
man of an entire generation. Isn’t the sequence
convoluted?
Back in my college days I
heard of a professor who on a final exam asked
the class, with their final grade at stake, the
name of the cleaning lady who swept the class
every day. When most didn’t know, he spent the
rest of the period explaining how every
individual is important and needs to be
recognized and treated as such. No person is
insignificant. You can bet that the students
knew the answer by the next class.
One can easily see then how
Moses, not Moses the leader of an estimated 2.5
million people; not Moses the son-in-law; but
Moses the man gained his status, his
popularity, and his acknowledged leadership
qualities by his simple interaction with people.
One might imagine him today stopping to say
“hello” to the man in the street, or saying
“thank you” to a waiter who refilled his empty
glass of water. Moses was not a man who signed
autographs; rather a person who put his arm
around your shoulder and made you feel at home
in his presence. One can see his staff today,
saying things such as, “He was a great teacher
but he was even a greater man. He was a
wonderful man. He was a good friend of mine!"
True, it was Moses that
kissed Jethro. But that was not the action of
The Moses, they were the actions of a man, a
mentsch! (A person of integrity and with concern
for others; a true gentleman). Often
we attribute acts of kindness, compassion, and
extra care to the attributes of sages and
scholars. From our text we learn that inside
every great leader lies "the man." Little
wonder that the words "the man" fits our
explanation of a mentsch so well. The second
verse I mentioned above reads "and the man
Moses was the exceedingly humble, more than
any one on the face of the earth." (Numbers
12:3) It was the man Moses, who
was exceedingly humble, more than any one on the
face of the earth.
So let it be said of my
friend and colleague, Father Walter Debold.
I served with him on panels, counseled troubled
young people in need with
him, dialogued with him,
laughed with him (and he laughed so easily), and
watched as he spun his magic web helping people
cope, helping them
recover. He, too was a humble servant. He was a
wonderful spokesman for his faith and his
church. He was a scholar, and a messenger of
God, but more than either, he was the man;
he was a mentsch.
In Loving Memory of Father
Walter Debold
Dr. Sandy Andron, educator
and friend
We worked with Father Debold
attempting to combat cults from the 1980’s to
the present. We attended many meetings and
conferences with him, and often referred people
to him who had a family member or loved one in
an abusive group. We also referred ex-cult
members attempting to recover from their
experiences to him.
There have been very few clergy involved in the
counter-cult movement, and we valued his
spirituality. But although deeply religious,
Reverend Debold always approached the cult issue
from a non-religious perspective, i.e., he
always focused, as our major counter-cult
organizations do, on the harm done to members
and their families, not on the religious
fallacies of the groups. Yet, for those who
needed a more spiritual perspective, he was
inspirational in helping to bring them back to
mainstream religion.
Reverend Debold always counseled people and
approached this very depressing topic with great
humor and a healthy perspective. His compassion
and humor helped countless people deal with the
pain caused by their cultic involvements.
But beneath and hidden by his modest and often
self-effacing persona was a brilliant and
incisive mind.
We will miss him very much. Marcia R. Rudin
and Rabbi A. James Rudin
We first met Fr. Walt way
back in 1983, after my husband and I left a
five-year experience with a large group
awareness training that drastically altered our
world-view and our spiritual outlook. We were
raw. We were hurting. We were distrustful of
ourselves and others. We were seriously
questioning our faith walk. We were trying to
deal with the triggers that occur when one
leaves such an imposing environment. We were no
different than the thousands of former cult
members we’ve come to know and work with over
the years. Only we were fortunate enough to meet
this smiling, warm, gentle, humble man who
became our friend and our colleague.
Early in our relationship
with Fr. Walt, we served together on the board
of a cult awareness organization in NJ. At
national conferences, we often had a session for
ex-members of cultic groups to address spiritual
concerns. Fr. Walt served on the panel of clergy
for the first part of those sessions. His
understanding and patience with the often
pointed questions and comments was truly moving.
Sometimes he responded by telling a story. One
had to concentrate to learn what point he was
making. How perfect for ex-members! Later I
would notice ex-members engaging in personal
dialogue with Fr. Walt and I would smile, having
been there myself.
Our love for Fr. Walt grew
with our respect for his wisdom and humility,
his love of freedom and his sense of humor. Oh,
how his eyes sparkled when he laughed. And how
often he laughed and celebrated life. It was so
special receiving communion from him at
conferences. And so special to hear his voice at
the other end of the phone, to receive email
from him and even this year, to receive his
Christmas blessing. He will be sorely missed,
always loved and deeply appreciated. I know this
man of God made a difference in the lives of
many people. He has in ours.
Carol and Noel Giambalvo
Father Debold was for many years the exemplar of
moral strength, scholarly rectitude and personal
solace. My relationship with Walter spans many
years and was based upon several ties. There
was, of course, the work he shared with all who
approached him for advice about cult related
problems. We also conferred on specific issues
concerning cults and the Catholic Church. We
were, on occasion, asked to work together on
consultations requiring great discretion.
And then there was the tie Walter had with my
family.
Walter always made me think of G. K.
Chesterton's literary character, Father Brown.
His appearance and demeanor easily misled those
who could only see the surface. Just as the
character in Chesterton's mysteries, Walter
allowed the underpinnings of life's conflicts to
reveal themselves. And with quiet conviction,
and without malicious intent, he would point out
the evil present in even the most beguiling
facades. Many families benefited from this
talent.
My last visit with Walter was at my Uncle
Charles' funeral. My uncle, the Reverend Charles
Lynch, taught at Seton Hall for over thirty
years and during this period he and Walter
became fast friends. When my uncle decided to
become a Catholic priest at the tender age of 72
years, a step we initially regarded as a bit
extreme, Walter remained a steadfast friend and
supporter. I know that Charlie deeply
appreciated Walter's inspiration, friendship and
support.
When the Requiem Mass was over, and most of the
congregation had departed, my children and I,
along with two of my cousins, ate lunch with
Walter and two other priests. This warm setting
was the last time Walter and I saw each other.
It was, and shall remain, a fond memory of a man
whose moral gifts continue to inform those
fortunate enough to have known him.
Kevin Garvey
Cults in Our Midst: The Hidden Menace in Our Everyday Lives - Book Review by Rev. Walter Debold
Gnostic Mystery - Book Review by Rev. Walter Debold
Mind-Forged Manacles: Cults and Spiritual Bondage - Book Review by Rev. Walter Debold
Sects & NRM - book review by Rev. Walter Debold
Shooting for the Stars - Book Review by Rev. Walter Debold
The Protean Self: Human Resilience in an Age of Fragmentation - Book Review by Rev. Walter Debold
The Superpower Syndrome - book review by Rev. Walter Debold
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