February 15, 2011

A Mass of Christian Burial for Father Paul L. Rehling was celebrated at St. William Church in Price Hill on Feb. 12. Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr presided, and Father David Brinkmoeller was the homilist. Father Rehling, 81, died on Feb. 7.

Father Paul L. Rehling (File photo)

A Cincinnati native, Father Rehling did his preparatory studies at St. Gregory Seminary and studied theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West. He was ordained on May 26, 1956, by then-Archbishop Karl J. Alter.

Father Rehling’s first assignment was as an assistant  pastor at St. Ann Parish in Hamilton. In 1961 he was appointed as assistant at St. Anthony Parish in Dayton, where he served until 1966. He was then appointed assistant pastor at Our Lord Christ the King Parish in Mt. Lookout, while also serving as a part-time teacher at the former Marian High School.

In 1971 Father Rehling was appointed director of field education at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. In 1976 he was appointed pastor of the former St. Agnes Parish in Bond Hill. While there he encouraged leaders from the African-American Catholic community to take formal religious training so they could take a more active role in the church.

In 1983 Father Rehling was appointed director of priests’ personnel for the archdiocese. He was named associate pastor of St. Louis Parish in downtown Cincinnati in 1984.

In 1988 Father Rehling was relieved of his active ministerial duties in the archdiocese for three years so that he could teach in the major seminary in Ghana, in West Africa. After returning to the United States, he served as pastor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish in Bridgetown from 1991 to 2001. After retiring in August 2001, Father Rehling continued to assist at area parishes, including the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains, St. William and St. Louis.

Father Rehling is survived by his brothers, Wilfred and James, and sister, Mary Ann Flamm.

Interment was at St. Mary’s Cemetery in St. Bernard.