Monsignor Robert T. Ritchie ek prasiddh Catholic dharmguru hain, jo New York ke St. Patrick’s Cathedral ke rector ke roop mein apni sewaon ke liye jane jaate hain. Unka jeevan aur karya, vishesh roop se Latin America mein unka anubhav, unke vyaktitva aur seva ko gahra prabhavit kiya hai.
Robert Ritchie ka janm Washington Heights, New York City mein hua tha, jahan unhone apne shuruati jeevan ke din bitaye. Bachpan se hi unka rujhan dharmik jeevan ki aur tha. Ek baar jab unki ek rishtedaar ne unse pucha ki bade hokar kya banoge, to sirf paanch saal ke Ritchie ne bina kisi jhijhak ke kaha, “Main priest banunga.” Yeh sapna unhone apne jeevan bhar banaye rakha.
Apne shiksha ke dauraan, Ritchie ne Cardinal Hayes High School se 1963 mein snatak kiya. Iske baad, unhone seminary mein pravesh liya aur Latin America mein seva karne ke liye swayam ko volunteer kiya. Puerto Rico aur Colombia mein apne adhyayan ke dauran, unhone wahaan ke logon aur sanskriti ko gahrai se samjha. Is anubhav ne unhe Spanish bhasha aur Latin American sanskriti ke prati gahra samvedanashil banaya, jo unke aage ke jeevan mein bahut upyogi siddh hua.
Seminary ke baad, Monsignor Ritchie ne Harlem aur Bronx ke Spanish-bhashi parishes mein lagbhag 40 varsh tak seva ki. Yahaan unhone garib aur vanchit samudaayon ke beech kaam kiya, unki aavashyaktaon ko samjha aur unki madad ki. Unka Latin America ka anubhav aur Spanish bhasha ka gyaan, unhe in samudaayon ke beech ek apna sa mehsoos karne mein madadgar raha.
2006 mein, Cardinal Egan ne unhe St. Patrick’s Cathedral ka rector banne ka nimantran diya. Yeh pad unke liye aashcharya ka vishay tha, kyunki unhone apne jeevan ka adhikansh hissa chhoti parishes mein bitaya tha. Lekin, unhone is chunauti ko sweekar kiya aur cathedral ki seva mein jud gaye.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral ke rector ke roop mein, Monsignor Ritchie ne kai mahatvapurn parivartan kiye. Unhone cathedral ke dwar hamesha khule rakhne ka nirdesh diya, taaki adhik se adhik log andar aa kar prarthana kar saken. Pehle, yeh dwar sirf vishesh avsar par hi khole jaate the, lekin Ritchie ne is parampara ko badal diya. Unka maanna tha ki khule dwar, girja ghar ki sabhi ke liye swagat yogya hone ka pratik hain.
Unhone cathedral ke restoration par bhi vishesh dhyan diya. 2006 mein, jab unhone apna pad grahan kiya, tab cathedral ki ek chhoti si tukdi Fifth Avenue par gir gayi thi. Is ghatna ne unhe restoration ka kaam shuru karne ke liye prerit kiya. Unhone kaha, “Jab main ek yuva priest tha, maine prarthana ki thi ki mujhe kabhi girja ghar nahi banana pade. Bhagwan ne meri sun li, aur mujhe ek purane girja ghar ko sudharne ka kaam diya.”
2008 mein, unhone Pope Benedict XVI ka St. Patrick’s Cathedral mein swagat kiya. Unke Latin America ke anubhav ke karan, unka Pope Francis ke saath bhi ek vishesh sambandh mehsoos hota hai. Jab Pope Francis ne apna naam chuna, to Ritchie ne socha, “Yeh bahut hi uttam chayan hai.” Unhe laga ki ek South America se aane wale Pope ka Francis naam chuna, Catholic jeevan mein ek shaktishaali sandesh hai.
Apne pad ke dauraan, Monsignor Ritchie ne kai baar logon ke sawalon ka jawab diya aur unke saath apne vichar saanjha kiye. Unhone Facebook par live sessions ke madhyam se logon ke prashnon ka uttar diya, jahan log unse apne sawalon ko puchh sakte the. Yeh sessions logon ke beech bahut lokpriya rahe.
Aaj Monsignor Robert Ritchie Kahaan Hain?
2021 mein, unhone apne retirement ka ailan kiya. November 2, 2021 ko, unhone apna antim mass padha, jo “Rector’s Retirement Mass” ke roop mein jaana gaya. Is avsar par, unhone apne jeevan aur seva ka samarpan prakat kiya aur apne samudaay ka aabhar vyakt kiya.
Retirement ke baad, Monsignor Ritchie ne apna samay vyaktigat dhyan aur prarthana mein bitana shuru kiya. Halaanki, unka St. Patrick’s Cathedral aur wahan ke logon ke saath sambandh bana raha. Unhone apne anubhav aur gyaan ko logon ke saath saanjha karna jaari rakha, taaki unki seekh aur margdarshan se anya log labh utha saken.
Aaj, apne retirement ke baad bhi, Monsignor Robert T. Ritchie apne jeevan aur seva ke madhyam se logon ko prerit karte hain. Unka samarpan aur seva bhavna logon ke beech ek misaal bani hui hai.