Those Who Came Before

by The Reverend Dr. Roman D. Roldan on November 27, 2024

TLDR: On this bittersweet holiday, I pray you will take a moment to give thanks for those who have come before us, and for those who we still have the privilege of breaking bread with.

Thanksgiving is a bitter sweet holiday for me. I still remember my first celebration in 1987 at my sister's house in Paterson, NJ. The sheer amount of food, the large number of family and friends gathered, my mother and sisters fussing for hours in the kitchen, and the copious amounts of beer and wine passed around to anyone who wanted them regardless of age. I remember American football on the TV, Colombian music in the patio for the smokers in the house who didn't mind the bitter cold weather, and disco music upstairs, where all the teenagers were gathering with their peers. It was a busy, loud, jovial atmosphere I had never seen in my life. Colombia doesn't have this particular festivity and to me everything looked so grand, almost extravagant.

These many years later, I have come to look forward to Thanksgiving, which has become my favorite holiday of the year. I love the fact that we have an entire day dedicated exclusively to giving thanks to God for the blessings we receive all year round. We Christians are by nature "thanksgiving people!" In fact, our most sacred act of corporate worship comes from the Greek EUCHARISTIO , which means "thanks giving". Week after week, we gather together to give thanks to God for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for the salvation of the world. We also thank God for our lives, our families, and our Church.

But somehow our Thanksgiving table makes me notice those who are not here anymore. Parents, grandparents, siblings who have died, those who are unable to join us this year, and friends left behind when our journey took an alternate route. There is always a bit of sadness and longing on days like this. Like every Jew on Passover, I often give thanks for the "empty chair of Elijah" and think with gratitude about the many sacrifices those who have joined the Lord made to advance my life and the life of the Church. Just the fact that I am celebrating a phenomenal meal with loved ones is a testament to the many acts of generosity they performed on my behalf. It is likewise with the church. On days like this I give thanks to God for our founders, for those who built our campus, for Clark, John, Rob and the scores of church members who left us the legacy we call Saint Dunstans.

I also give thanks for all of you, members of the Third Generation. I am so impressed with your love and dedication for this Church. I am fortunate to be called your pastor and friend. On this day I take stock on my life and celebrate the blessings along the way. I also ask God to continue to form me into the man and Pastor Christ needs me to be for your sake and the sake of the Church. Ministry is hard at times, but your love and support makes it possible.

May our Lord continue to bless you on this great day. Please give thanks for those who came before and honor them by being the best people you can be. In Jesus's name,

Fr. Roman+

About the Author

The Reverend Dr. Roman D. Roldan

The Rev. Dr. Roman D. Roldan is originally from Colombia, South America, where he lived until he migrated to the United States for College in Southwest Miami in the late 1980s. He attended the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium for graduate school in theology, followed by a master’s degree in social work at Rutgers University in New Jersey in the early 1990s. From 1995 to 2005, he worked as a bilingual psychotherapist, administrator, and Chief Deputy Officer for a national behavioral healthcare company in Florida. He became an Episcopalian in the year 2000 at Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala, Florida. In 2005, he attended Trinity School for Ministry, graduating in 2007 with his master’s degree in divinity and in 2016 with his doctorate in divinity with a concentration in preaching.

Fr. Roldan has been an Associate Dean at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Davenport, Iowa, the Rector of Grace Church of West Feliciana Parish in Saint Francisville, Louisiana, for eleven years, and the Rector of Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, for nearly five years. From 2017 to 2020, Fr. Roldan served as a seminary professor at Trinity School for Ministry’s Spanish online program. He also served from 2015-2019 as the Episcopal Chaplain at Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly known as “Angola Prison.” He was the Dean of the Baton Rouge Deanery in the Dioceses of Louisiana from 2016-2020. From 2010 to 2020, Fr. Roldan served as a short-term missionary in the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras and built the Episcopal Church in El Carmen, San Nicolas. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the Seminary of the Southwest since 2021. He has been a chaplain to 3 Cursillo and two Happening teams since his ordination. He is passionate about the supervision of curates and raising vocations to the diaconate and the priesthood.

Fr. Roldan has been married to Chris Anna Roldan for 31 years and has four children ages 30, 27, 22, and 20. He is an avid reader, traveler, and amateur writer. He is the author of A Blind Man and his Monkey and is currently working on his second novel, The Ghost and his Baby.

Email: frroman@saintdunstans.org

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