Author Biography
Father Bernad Reiser a Catholic priest, Reiser brings a seminary degree with a major in theology and 60+ years of ordained experience to his writing. He has volunteered his time to parishes in and around the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Father Bernard Reiser was born in 1924 to Aloys and Ottilia Reiser, farmers living in, Medina, Minnesota. Father Reiser was ordained to the priesthood on June 4, 1949 and was assigned to St. Mary of the Lake parish in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. In 1964, Archbishop Leo Binz asked Father Reiser to start a parish in the quickly-growing Minneapolis suburb of Coon Rapids located in Anoka County. Seventy acres of farmland was acquired for the new church, which was named Epiphany after one of the great feast days of the Lord. Under Father Reiser's leadership, Epiphany grew to become one of the largest Catholic communities in the state. In addition to a spacious sanctuary, the Epiphany campus includes an elementary school, a Perpetual Adoration chapel, a senior housing complex, an assisted living facility, a cemetery, and several outdoor shrines. In 1996, Father Reiser traveled to Haiti. I had seen slums in China, Egypt and Mexico City,he wrote. None of them compare to the tragic realities of the slum outside Port au Prince. In time, Father Reiser established Reiser Relief Inc., a non-profit organization that funds relief and development projects in Haiti. Father Reiser retired from Epiphany, but he remains actively involved in helping the world's poorest citizens as chairman of Reiser Relief.. I don't intend to retire, he said. As long as I can work I will. As long as you can work why sit around gathering dust. After 62 years of dedicated priesthood, Father Bernard Reiser went to the Lord on December 27 at the age of 86. Reiser Relief Inc. is a volunteer run non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation founded by Father Bernard Reiser, who has been involved with Haiti outreach programs for over 13 years; Bringing Hope To Haiti. Reiser Relief is based in Coon Rapids, MN and its mission is to help the impoverished people of the Caribbean country of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
