John M. Kaserow – High School Graduation 1955

John Marion Kaserow was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 6, 1938, son of Joseph Stanley Kaserow (Kaczorowski) (03/16/1892 – 06/30/1955) and Rose Agnes Urbanowska (Kaczorowski-Kaserow) (03/14/1911 – 12/09/1961). He has a brother Richard, and a sister Deanna (Willard). Both his parents and his brother, Richard, are deceased. John graduated from St. Hyancinth Grammar School in June 1951 and Archbishop Weber High School on May 31, 1955.

John, his brother Richard, and his cousin Ronald Herman, joined Troop 112 which met in Kosciusko Park and was sponsored by the Logan Square American Legion. Led by Scoutmaster Edward J. Rejdukowski (Owasippe Lodge Vigil Class of 1952), John attained the rank of Life Scout. During his tenure in the Troop, John served as the Scribe of the Buffalo Patrol and eventually became its Patrol Leader. He went on to lead as Senior Patrol Leader and later Assistant Scoutmaster, serving under his brother Richard who was the Scoutmaster of Troop 112.

John was inducted into the Order of the Arrow at Camp Fort Dearborn on Higgins Road in Chicago on April 26, 1952. He was hoping to be chosen for the Order of the Arrow, but not sure of his chances. His brother Richard had been inducted the year before so he knew that the call out would take place at night and that an Indian as part of the Arrow Induction Team would run the circle carrying a lighted torch. The circle was very large since everyone in Camp that weekend participated. John was astonished when he was tapped out and eventually led away to complete the first part of the induction. Saturday was spent in various camp projects testifying to the importance of cheerful service. After a full day of arduous labor, the Saturday night Arrow Banquet in Dearborn’s main lodge was held, and the new members celebrated their induction into the Arrow. While inducted into Checaugau Chapter, the group was so large that when the Chapter was subdivided, John was asked to research a new name for the group. His investigation at the library led him to the story of the Cahokia Mounds of Illinois and the Tribe that resided there. Eventually “Cahokia” was the name adopted by the new Chapter. John and his brother Richard alternated leadership role in the new Chapter for over four years.

Attending Owasippe in 1951 at age 13, John had just graduated from eighth grade (and was healed enough from his recent appendectomy) to go to summer camp. Troop 112 went to Camp West in 1951, then to Dan Beard in 1952. In 1953 and 1954 they were Lone Troop Campers at Big Blue Lake. The troop always traveled by rail on a specially designated Scout Trail to Whitehall, Michigan.

For his dedicated service, John received the Vigil Honor at Owasippe at Camp West on August 16, 1958. The all night Vigil meant a great deal to him since he knew of the vision quest of the Native Americans through his role as the Chapter Meteu. A terrible tragedy struck on the morning after the Vigil night was completed. G. Weber Schimpff, Ph.D., a fellow candidate that evening, died suddenly as the group was walking to the various Church services that Sunday morning. John remembers that throughout the night he could hear Weber using an inhaler but the latter assured the leaders that he was all right. Weber was remembered at the Vigil Honor Ceremony by all of the new Vigil Brothers in a special way.

During his Scouting years, John worked as a Warehouseman (Stevedore) at Wells-Gardner Electronics in Chicago for five years and entered Maryknoll College, Glen Ellyn, Illinois on September 7, 1960. He received a B.A. in Philosophy on June 7, 1964. After Maryknoll Novitiate in Hingham, MA, he entered the Maryknoll Seminary, New York receiving a M.Div. (1968) and a M.Th. (1969). In August 1969 he received his M.A. in Liturgy (summer program) from the University of Notre Dame. He was ordained a priest at Maryknoll Seminary, Ossining, New York on May 24, 1969.

After ordination, Father Kaserow was assigned to the Maryknoll Education Department and enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto. His area of focus was Historical Theology and History of Religions, with a special concentration in Asian Religions. After completing the proscribed course work and examinations in 1973, he began teaching at Maryknoll Seminary, New York and developed a number of courses in sacramental life and theology of religions. Along with other faculty, he began Maryknoll’s first Post Overseas Training Seminar, which he chaired. In 1975 he returned to Toronto to finish writing his doctoral thesis: “Christian Evaluations of Buddhism from Clement of Alexandria to the Renaissance.” He was assigned to the Maryknoll Region of Taiwan from June 1976 to 1979. In November 1977 he returned to Toronto to successfully defend his doctoral thesis and received a Ph.D. in Theology. After graduation he returned to Taiwan and was assigned to Wu-Jya Parish in Kaoshiung, Taiwan.

In 1979, he returned to Maryknoll, New York and was appointed Academic Dean and Chief Executive Officer of the Maryknoll Seminary. During his tenure, he was responsible for many changes in the institution, which included the development of the Maryknoll School of Theology, expansion of the Board of Trustees, implementation of a three-stage M.Div. Program, new M.A. Programs, and various other educational elements. In 1980, he was invited by Fr. Lawrence Murphy, M.M., the President of Seton Hall University, and Governor Brendan Byrne of New Jersey to participate in an extended visit to Mainland China as a special liaison for the purpose of establishing educational, business, and scientific relations.

After his tenure as Academic Dean, Father Kaserow continued on as a Maryknoll School of Theology faculty member as Associate Professor of Liturgy until his sabbatical in 1987. During this time, he was also the Maryknoll Society Liturgist and responsible for a variety of Maryknoll Liturgical services and needs. In April 1988 he was asked to apply for an opening in the faculty at the Catholic Theological Union (CTU). Father Kaserow’s background in the area of Ritual, Mission Studies, and Inter-Religious Dialogue made him suitable academically for the position. The year he spent in Japan (1972) gaining experience in Buddhism, and his time in Taiwan, were seen as a welcome addition for the cross-cultural programs at CTU. He was admitted to the faculty of CTU in its tenure-track position with the academic rank of Professor of Mission Studies. At the same time, Maryknoll Seminary moved its Master of Divinity program to Chicago, and, therefore, he was able to assist with formational and educational needs of the Maryknoll Seminarians. He also assisted at CTU in the development of its various programs which included the newly formed Cross-Cultural Ministries Department, of which he served as its Chair from 1991-1993. During this time he served as the Coordinator of the World Mission Program and was on the committee for the Globalization of Theological Education.

Two extraordinary highlights that occurred during his first seven years at CTU were the teaching experience in Wuhan, China (August 1990 – June 1991) at Wuhan Institute of Technology, and the work done in preparation for the Parliament of World’s Religions held in Chicago in 1993. During the five years of preparation for this event, Father Kaserow was a member of the Inter-Religious Worship Committee responsible for planning and execution of Worship Services for the Parliament. He was also a member of the Research and Doctrinal Committee of the Parliament.

Since 1997 Father Kaserow has been Adjunct Professor of Mission Studies at Catholic Theological Union, teaching mainly during the Inter-Session periods (Winter and Summer). The year 2010 marked twenty-two years of teaching at CTU. Combined with ten years of teaching in Maryknoll Seminary and Maryknoll School of Theology, Fr. John has spent thirty-two years teaching at the professional graduate level. He currently resides at Maryknoll, New York and offers workshops and lectures on various occasions. He was re-appointed as the Maryknoll Society/Center Liturgist on December 24, 2007, a position he has held since his retirement from teaching at Catholic Theological Union in February 2010. Officially retired within Maryknoll at the age of 75 in 2013, he continues to do research in the religions and traditions of Asia, and in myth and ritual studies in general. He also assists at St. Ann’s Parish (Ossining, New York) on Sundays and when needed. He explores Nature and has a special love for the Hudson Valley and the Catskill Mountains region, its forests, reservoirs, lakes, and streams, and the history and myths of the area.

Being a Vigil Honor Member to John has always meant belonging to a “Brotherhood of Cheerful Service”. Each evening he uses a personal ritual which he devised. He has a feather wand that he made; he raises it to the four directions and recites in each direction: Wimachtendienk, Wingolauchsik, Witahemui. In the spirit of Meteu, he follows this with a prayer in memory of all of his Scouting friends who have passed away with the certain knowledge that one day we shall again be reunited.

Fr. John acknowledges that we all now live in a very advanced technological world that has bought us innumerable benefits, but has distracted us from the great wonders to be experienced in the beauty of Nature: its haunting call beckoning us to the forests, the lakes, the rivers, the Earth and to brotherhood with all of Creation. Fr. John believes that Nature has much to teach us and is a wonderful mystery to behold and marvel at and with.

Rev. John M. Kaserow – circa 1995

Father John Kaserow – Vigil Dinner 2015 Honoree