The men of Melchizedek are raising their standard. Their own flag, that’s to say.

The men — or “the boys,” as Father Rob Waller calls them—are seven retired diocesan priests who live at Melchizedek Village in West Milton, Ohio.  They recently created their own flag and hoisted it for the first time last week on their retirement community’s new flagpole. The ceremony marked the feast of St. John Vianney, Curé of Ars, the patron of parish priests.

This new flag, Father Waller says, represents “Union and Community under the Banner of Christ.”

Michael Mayor, a young member of Transfiguration parish in West Milton, provided the flagpole placement and surrounding landscaping as his Eagle Scout project.

The seven priests, who represent a combined 358 years of ministry, flew smaller versions of the newly designed flag outside their residences in June to welcome Bishop Joseph R. Binzer for supper.

Monsignor Bill Myers, a Dayton native and priest of the Steubenville Archdiocese, got the flag project under way by asking Father Waller to help design one.  Father Waller retired last year as pastor of St. Andrew parish in Milford.

The Melchizedek Village flag is red, gold, and white, the colors of the Cincinnati Archdiocese’s coat of arms. The flag’s “pale,” or center, bears stylized art depicting the Host, a chalice, and a priestly stole.

Father Waller, 68, has an affinity for flags. After moving into the retirement community, he bought a white flag to fly outside his garage on the baptismal anniversaries of each priest at the village. Sadly, the first time he flew it was in February upon the death of his fellow Melchizedek resident Father Bill Thomas.

While pastor at St. Andrew, Father Waller flew three flags over his front porch – American, Israeli, and Palestinian – to reflect his hope for “peace with justice.” Three years ago, he raised more than $14,000 in relief for “the children of Gaza” and a Catholic Church in that troubled territory.

Lately, he’s been seen following a maritime flag, under the auspices of the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America, a Catholic ministry to sea-goers. This spring, he served as a chaplain on a cruise ship during its two-week Alaskan excursion.  

Next spring, he’ll do the same on a three-week “Baltic jewels and Norwegian fjords” cruise.

“It is tough duty, but someone has to do it,” he says.

# # #

Top of page: The retired priests of Melchizedek Village.  Seated, from left (with their years of ministry in parentheses) are Father Jerry Bensman (53), Father John Porter (61), and Monsignor Bill Myers (48). Standing: Father Waller (42), Father Ken Baker (55), Father Dave Vincent (53), and Father Dave Brinkmoeller (46). Below: the new flag and a welcome banner at Father Waller’s residence. Your generosity to One Faith, One Hope, One Love helps support retired priests of our Archdiocese. To read more articles about our senior shepherds throughout the Archdiocese, go here. For more about the flag and what it means to the priests, see this. Photos courtesy of Father Waller.