Rest in Peace, Bishop Francis Roque

                         OBITUARY OF: MOST REVEREND FRANCIS X. ROQUE, D. D. 
                                                        

Most Reverend Francis X. Roque, D. D., 90, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, and Titular Bishop of Bagai, died Thursday, September 12, 2019.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, a son of the late Warren E. and Mary L. (Gallagher) Roque, he attended Saint Paul School, Cranston and LaSalle Academy, Providence.

In preparation for the priesthood, he studied at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick, Rhode Island, and Saint John Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts.  He was ordained a priest for the service of the Diocese of Providence on September 19, 1953 at the Cathedral of SS. Peter & Paul in Providence by Bishop Russell J. McVinney.                                                     

Father Roque was assistant pastor at Saint Luke Parish in Barrington (1953-56) and at the Cathedral of SS. Peter & Paul in Providence (1956-61).  

In 1961 he became a Chaplain in the United States Army and served in Vietnam, Korea, West Germany, and Fort Devens, Massachusetts.  On March 25, 1983 he was named Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services.  Prior to his ordination as bishop, he retired with the rank of Colonel.  He was ordained a bishop on May 10, 1983 in the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in New York City by Cardinal Terence Cooke and served with zeal and distinction until his retirement from the Archdiocese for the Military Services in 2004.  

Upon retirement, Bishop Roque returned to the Diocese of Providence where he generously assisted at Confirmations and other pontifical ceremonies.  Bishop Roque also provided leadership and spiritual guidance to the local Legion of Mary during his  retirement. In his final years, Bishop Roque lived at St. Jeanne Jugan Residence in Pawtucket.
   
In 2018, Bishop Roque celebrated the 65th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood and the 35th anniversary of his ordination as a bishop.

Calling hours will be on Wednesday, September 18 from 4 - 8pm in the chapel of St. Jeanne Jugan Residence, 964 Main Street, Pawtucket. 

A Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for Bishop Roque’s soul on Thursday, September 19 at 11am at the Cathedral of SS. Peter & Paul, Fenner Street, Providence.  Burial will follow in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston.