Did you ever play street hockey with a cookie? Father Benz did. One time his brother John baked cookies that were so hard, they used them in a game of street hockey.

David H. Benz was born on April 27, 1943, in Chester, Pa. Dave's Father, John, died before he was born. His mother, Gladys, raised him and his brother, John, with the help of their grandmother, Ora. 

"A native of Ethiopia, 'Mumsie,' as we called her, had a great influence on my life," says Father Benz. "She taught us to have a sense of pride in our self and to always treat others as we would like to be treated." 

"When I became a Boy Scout, these principles of right living and treating others with dignity were reinforced." 

The Benz family were members of Mount Hebron African Methodist Episcopal Church in Marcus Hook, Pa.  Dave and John attended Saint Michael's Catholic Grade School and Saint James Catholic Boys High School in Chester because the family wanted the boys to have the best education available. 

At Saint James, Dave attended Sunday night sock hops and the junior and senior proms. He played football and baseball for the "Fighting Bulldogs." 

It was during this time that his mother was employed at Sacred Heart Hospital. Her acquaintance with Father Storm led her to take instructions in the Catholic Faith. Dave accompanied her to the instructions, and they were both received into the Catholic Church. 

After High School graduation, in 1961, young Dave enlisted in the Air Force, where he served as a paramedic at Air Force bases in Texas, Panama, and Vietnam.  After completion of duty in the Air Force he earned a Bachelors Degree in accounting from Drexel Institute of Technology. 

Involvement in his home parish prompted Father Jim McCusker to encourage Dave to consider a vocation to the priesthood. He entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1967 and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in philosophy in 1971, followed by a Master of Divinity Degree in 1975. Cardinal Krol ordained David H. Benz as a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in May of 1975. In June of the same year Father Benz received a Masters of Sociology Degree from Temple University. 

Father Benz's assignments were at Bishop McDevitt High School where he taught religion and social studies. He also served at various parishes in the Archdiocese.

His prior military service made him aware of the need for priests in the service and so, in 1986, Father Benz joined the United States Air Force Chaplaincy. He served at Air Force bases in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and overseas in Korea and the United Kingdom.  During his tenure in England he distinguished himself by developing programs to take care of deployed spouses during Operation Desert Storm.  Father's final military assignment was at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, from October 1996 to May 1999, after which he retired from Military Service. 

During his Chaplincy Father Benz was awarded an impressive number of distinguished service medals including the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star. 

Father arrived at St. Patrick Parish in Kennett Square in July 1999. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee in May 2000. When it was pointed out that he had trod an interesting and diverse path, Father says, "I truly believe that I was in the places where God wanted me to be." 

In his ministry, Father tries to make the Eucharist paramount, "so people will understand that God loves them, and that we are guardians in God for our young, who are precious gifts from God." 

Father Benz has lots of great memories of growing up in Chester including the story of his brother's cookie. 

"Our Mother thought it was important for us to learn to cook and to sew," he says, "and one time it was my brother's turn to make the cookies. "The result was something other than what we expected, however. The cookies were so hard, we could only use them to play hockey." 

Another memory is about his most prized possession - his Red Flyer wagon. 

"My brother, John, and I transported groceries to the convent. When we arrived we were rewarded, by the nuns, with ice cream sundaes." 

Memories at Saint Michael's include attending Mass on Sunday with the other students and the Sisters using their clickers to keep them in line. His favorite subject was history. He likes baseball and is a Phillies fan. His favorite holyday is Easter, his favorite hymn - "He Looked Beyond My Fault," and his favorite prayer - the "Hail Mary." 

A fond memory of family vacations is a cross country train trip. As the train rounded Horseshoe Curve in Western Pennsylvania the family could see both the engine and the caboose at the same time. 

Father Benz's favorite ice cream is vanilla. He doesn't like brussel sprouts. His hobbies are photography and computers. His favorite teacher was Sister Anne Walters in First Grade. At nine, years of age he got his first job in a clothier store, later he bagged groceries at the A&P.

A most prized gift is a clock bearing the prayer that was said by the Chaplain at his retirement from the armed services. 

Father Benz's advice to us is to "Be faithful to God, and God will return it in kind."

Editor's Note:  We have just learned of Father Benz's appointment as assistant pastor at St. Jude's parish in Chalfont, Buck's County.  We wish Father every success in his new assignment and thank him for his many contributions to our parish.  We hope that this profile will give parishioners a better appreciation of a priest who had such a positive impact on the parish during his two years at St. Pat's.  We wish him all the best.  We are sorry to see him go.  

June 2001