Archbishop Harris Newton Rowzie Remembered for Pastoral Charity and a Life of Service

Archbishop Rowzie

By A. DiNardo

LAKE CHARLES 2 January 2026 (NRom)

His Excellency Msgr. Harris Newton Rowzie, Archbishop and Vicar General of the Patriarchal See, entered into eternal rest on 17 December 2025, at the age of 81. Archbishop Rowzie leaves behind a legacy of compassionate ministry, devoted service to the Church, and a life shaped by both faith and humanitarian concern.

Born on 27 November 1944 in Madisonville, Louisiana, to Harris and Margaret Smith Rowzie, he would come to embody a vocation that bridged pastoral care, intellectual rigor, and deep personal kindness. Before and alongside his ecclesiastical service, Archbishop Rowzie was widely respected as a licensed professional counselor, offering guidance and advocacy to those navigating hardship. His work as an expert witness in Social Security disability cases reflected a consistent commitment to justice and dignity for the vulnerable — values that closely informed his later ministry.

Archbishop Rowzie (left) participating in an ordination.

His Excellency also served his country with honor as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army, assigned to the 172nd Infantry Brigade during the Vietnam War. Those years of service left a lasting imprint on his sense of duty, sacrifice, and solidarity with others—qualities that would become hallmarks of his priestly and episcopal life.

Within the life of the Church, Archbishop Rowzie’s ministry spanned significant moments of ecclesial development and unity. He served in the Anglican Rite Roman Catholic Church, one of the jurisdictions that would later merge into the United Roman-Ruthenian Church in 2023.

Archbishop Harris Rowzie (right) with Pope Radislav I of
Rome-Ruthenia (then-Cardinal Johnson)

He was ordained to the priesthood in 2010 and consecrated to the episcopacy in 2012 during a period of church growth and development. During these years, he was called to serve closely in the life of the Patriarchal See, including his appointment as Vicar General from 2012 to 2013. His ministry during this time was marked by pastoral steadiness and a commitment to fostering unity across emerging structures. He received both ordination and episcopal consecration from the Roman-Ruthenian Pope (then-Cardinal Johnson), within the continuity of apostolic ministry.

In later years, his path took a different course, though his period of service remains part of the Church’s living history.

Archbishop Rowzie (left), then as a Domincan priest,
with members of the Patriarchal Court.

A member of the Anglican Order of Preachers, often known as the Anglican Dominicans, His Excellency embraced a charism rooted in preaching, study, and service. His approach to ministry reflected this heritage: thoughtful, articulate, and always directed toward the spiritual and practical needs of the people entrusted to his care.

He is survived by his wife, Megan Sheffield Rowzie; his son, Trey Rowzie (Mitsuyo); his daughter, Michelle Rowzie Renew (Doug); his granddaughter, Niqui O’Toole (Kel); and his great-grandchildren, Gabriel and Claire O’Toole. He was preceded in death by his parents.

2025: A Year of Visible Growth and Quiet Service

 

Throughout 2025, the clergy and faithful of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church served communities across cultures, languages, and nations — often quietly, and often far from public view. What follows is a brief selection of developments and programs from the past year, a snapshot of just some of the key events of the Church’s life and work.

2025 at a Glance

• Strengthened global presence across six continents

• Advanced historic institutions into a new phase of public life and service

• Continued the Church’s mission of faith, charity, and cultural stewardship worldwide

Highlights from the Life and Work of the Church in 2025: 

1. We welcomed new church jurisdictions in both historic heartlands and emerging regions, strengthening the Church’s presence and pastoral service across six continents.

2. Broadened the celebration and use of the Church’s distinctive Gallo-Russo-Byzantine liturgy, deepening a shared spiritual language that unites East and West.

3. Expanded the Church’s diplomatic and institutional relationships, strengthening dialogue with religious, cultural, and civic partners worldwide.

4. Witnessed the Roman-Ruthenian Papacy come fully into visible and public life, marking a mature stage in the Church’s long-standing historic development.

5. Took part in international initiatives and events dedicated to history, charity, and humanitarian service, representing the Church’s values in diverse global settings.

6. Through the work of its clergy and faithful, the Church provided practical care, offering shelter, food, healthcare, education, and spiritual guidance to people in need.

7. Established a new curial office dedicated to the spiritual guidance and pastoral care of pilgrims to the Holy Land.

8. Pontifical Georgian College, founded by St. Edwin Caudill as St. George's School of Theology, entered the final phase of its transition to a modern competency-based seminary model, strengthening clergy formation for the future.

9. Established a historic concordat between the Russian and Yugoslavian branches of the Order of St. John, uniting them under a shared Royal Protector and reaffirming the Order’s mission of service to the poor and the sick.