Chaplain rooted in the faith

Baltimore chaplain says Legates are committed to their faith and the Church . . .

Monsignor Richard Cramblitt

Baltimore Chapter

America’s first diocese, founded in 1789, has produced some extraordinary priests — including Monsignor Richard Cramblitt. In addition to serving as the Legatus chapter’s founding chaplain, the Baltimore native is pastor of The Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Baltimore’s Mount Washington district. Monsignor is on the archdiocesan presbyteral council and active with the Knights of Malta. In January, Archbishop Edwin O’Brien appointed him temporary administrator of his home parish, the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Towson, Md.

Tell me about your call to the priesthood.

I was ordained at the age of 25, so I went from high school to university to seminary. I knew my vocation pretty early in life. That’s what I was called to do, and I followed through with it. I was influenced by Catholic schools and my very strong Catholic family. The school’s religious formation was very influential. And parish life was very much a part of our home, and the school was very much a part of the parish.

How did you get involved with Legatus?

Actually, the archbishop asked me to be chaplain. I simply replied, “What’s Legatus?” I hadn’t heard of it, but I’ve been involved ever since. It’s been absolutely a grand experience. I went to the Summit in Colorado Springs a few years ago and was so impressed.

Legatus is a very special group of Catholics. Members are highly educated, well-placed, successful people.They make it work in their lives. Just watching them, knowing them and sensing the depth of their commitment to their faith has been an inspiration to me.

What do you try to bring to them as their chaplain?

I try to give them the true depth of the Eucharist. Because, of course, they do a lot of things at their monthly meetings — they’re socializing, eating, and listening to speakers on various topics. My particular role as priest is to gather them at the table of the Lord, to let them hear the word of God and try to really reflect on it in a way that’s helpful to them, and then to share in the Eucharist together.

I understand you’re a genealogy buff.

Yes. I’ve been searching my own family roots for a number of years now, and I’ve enjoyed that immensely.

How far back have you traced your family roots?

Well, I’m embarrassed to tell you. About 36 A.D. I have to say that with a great qualification because you trace your own line as far as you can, you search census records, church records and family stories. Then you go to the biggest genealogy society in the world: the Mormon Church. They have a website you can type in somebody’s name — and lo and behold, it turns out that somebody somewhere else has researched that same name! From there, you make all these connections. I can’t vouch for the validity of it, but it allows you to sort of go back in time almost endlessly.

You travel, too, right?

Yes. Last year, I went to the summer institute for pastoral professionals at the American College in Louvain, Belgium. That was a very enriching experience — wonderful theology lectures and a great experience of meeting people from around the world. I was on a sabbatical three years ago at the North American College in Rome. That’s a three-month program of lectures and opportunities in Rome and at the Vatican. Those kinds of things are very enriching.