Update on Fred Werth

From: Fred Werth III, ’95
To: Bill O’Conner
Subject: Fred Werth, Jr. Class of 1970 Update
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007

Bill,
I decided that my Dad needed an update to his class in the VMI Alumni review. My father, like myself, tends not to be very good at communicating on matters that don’t concern our work. However, I told myself in this new year that I would finally send an update to my class (1995) and while I was at it, I would send one for my father. As you are probably aware, we had a major tragedy in our family in September 2002 when the car that my father was driving was hit and resulted in the deaths of my mother Pat and sister Sally. They were visiting friends in Fredericksburg, VA and were on their way home to Grayson County when they were hit outside of Orange, VA. The driver, who was a retired Secret Service Agent and a Marine Corps Vietnam War Vet, had been drinking but was not yet legally drunk, however he also had a number of different medications in his system. I am told that he constantly fought depression and that the medications were for that disease. As a side note, the other driver after he had recovered from the accident called the local paper and announced that he was going to commit suicide and that his house was “booby trapped” and for nobody to come near his place. The paper called the police and when they arrived they heard gun fire. They rushed the house and arrested him. It appears that he may have been trying to commit suicide via police – hoping that the police would shoot him if he shot in their general direction. He initially was charged with attempted murder on a VA State Trooper, but I am told the Judge dropped that charge as no police actually saw him fire his weapon, they only heard the gun shots.

The car that my father was driving was destroyed and it really is a miracle that he survived. The whole thing was very tragic. I hold no ill will against the other driver, as he did not intend for this to happen. I believe he is serving a 5 year jail sentence right now for the accident. Following a lengthy convalescence, and after much soul searching and praying, my father decided to enter a seminary to study to become a Catholic priest. I initially thought this a little strange as my father was raised Presbyterian. However, while I attended VMI he apparently had become extremely faithful to the Catholic Church (due to my Mom’s influence I imagine as she was raised Catholic). He has been attending Blessed John XXIII Seminary in Weston, MA for the last 3 years. On June 2nd, 2007 he will be ordained a Priest in Charlotte, NC (this is the diocese that sponsored him to the school). He will be inviting as many people as he can to this event, but in case he does not have addresses for everyone, let this serve as an open invitation for any of his BRs who may want to attend. This will probably be the most important event in his life, and I hope as many people who want to attend do so.

Following his ordination he will work in the Diocese of Charlotte, NC as a Priest. In March 2006 he took Holy Orders as he was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church. I attended this event and found it very inspirational (I had been quite the skeptic before this). I actually stayed at the seminary with my father during this weekend. I was shocked to find it so much like VMI. In fact, after a few hours I felt like I was living back at the “I”. They had communal bathrooms and showers, no TV’s in the rooms, slept on a wood cot that folded up every morning and everybody ate together in the “mess hall”. It was as close to VMI as I have come since I graduated.

I have included pictures of him taking his Holy Vows as a Deacon from Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, who is the top General in the Military’s Chaplain Corp. I thought it fitting that he take his vows before a Bishop in the military. The first picture shows my father on the right, the Archbishop in the middle and a fellow Seminarian who also took his vows the same day. The black man in the picture is an alter boy and I do not know his name. The second picture shows my father kneeling before the Archbishop as the Archbishop lays his hands on my father signifying God’s acceptance of my father as a Deacon in his Church. The two men in the background of the second picture were Priests serving that day on the alter.

Anyway, I knew my father would never write into the Alumni Review as he is too humble to let everybody else know what is going on in his life. Please print whatever you feel is appropriate of this letter. And for any of his BRs or fellow Alumni who are willing, I am sure my father would ask for their prayers as he enters the last few months of his seminary life. I am told that the last few months can be the hardest for men studying to become Priests.

Sincerely,
Fred Werth, III
VMI ’95