Msgr. Mark Froehlich to retire Jan. 31st Barnesville Enterprise January 29, 2014 Msgr. Mark J. Froehlich will retire from active parish ministry Jan. 31, after ministering as a priest in the Diocese of Steubenville for nearly 45 years. By the time he was in fifth grade, the Woodsfield native said, during a recent afternoon at the chancery in Steubenville, he knew he wanted to be a priest. Born Jan. 6, 1943, a son of the late Bernard and Mary Dorothy Burkhart Froehlich, he was a student at the diocesan seminary, St. John Vianney in Bloomingdale, by the time he was 13. In 2010, Msgr. Froehlich hosted his classmates from the seminary for a 50-year high school reunion during which he reminisced for The Steubenville Register about the experience that changed his life and affected the rest of it. Msgr. Froehlich was ordained May 17, 1969, at Holy Name Cathedral, Steubenville, by the first bishop of Steubenville, John King Mussio. He was named a monsignor in 1987. His assignments throughout his years of active ministry have taken him from one end of the 13-county diocese to the other. He began his assignments in Lawrence County, first as an instructor at St. Joseph Central High School, Ironton. Three years later, in 1972, he moved northward. At Guernsey Catholic Central High School, Cambridge, he was a teacher, finance officer and athletic director; at that same time, he served as administrator for St. Henry Parish, Harriettsville. In 1977, Msgr. Froehlich had become administrator for St. Mary Parish, Temperanceville, and a year later became pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Neffs, while teaching at St. John Central High School, Bellaire. Msgr. Froehlich was assigned in 1988 as pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Bridgeport, and pastoral administrator of St. Joseph Central School, Bridgeport. In 2000, while continuing as pastor of St. Joseph Parish, he became pastoral administrator, also, of St. John Central High School, where he had taught earlier. Two years later, he was appointed administrator of Our Lady of Angels Parish, Barton, and All Saints Parish, Blaine. Presently, he is pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Barnesville, and St. Mary Parish, Temperanceville. He became pastor of the two Belmont County parishes in 2007. While serving diocesan parishes, Msgr. Froehlich also has served the diocese as director of evangelization, as a member of its pastoral staff and Priests’ Senate, as a dean of a deanery, as a Presbyteral Council representative and as a judge in the Office of Church Law. He has been a judge in the Tribunal for at least 35 years, he said, and expects to continue in that role, even after retirement from active parish ministry. Also, Msgr. Froehlich has been involved in the communities where the parishes he has ministered are located. A 27-year Rotarian, with 26 years of perfect attendance, he, also, has served as Rotary president. He was president of the Bridgeport Rotary Club from 1995-96 and the Barnesville Rotary Club from 2012-13. He also served as president of the Barnesville Kiwanis Club, 2009-11. He is also the finance officer of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Barnesville. A member of the Barnesville Area Ministerial Association since 2007, he currently serves as its treasurer. He is a member of the Barnesville Chamber of Commerce, Barnesville Educational Foundation and Barnesville Community Foundation. Previously, he was the Belmont County representative to the Tri-County 648 Board of Mental Health. Msgr. Froehlich performed his last wedding as pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Mary parishes on January 4. Earlier last week, he presided at a funeral Mass for St. Mary parishioner, Don E. Carpenter. As a retiree from active parish ministry, Msgr. Froehlich will reside in a residence he has readied in Belmont County, near Morristown. He will be feted, prior to retirement, during parish celebrations at 6 p.m., January 30 at the Assumption Church Hall. Msgr. Froehlich has a sister. She is Franciscan Sister of Manitowoc, Wis., Maryanne Froehlich. Sister Maryanne celebrated her 50th anniversary of religious profession in 2009. She resides at the Franciscan Sister’s motherhouse, after ministering in various locales, including ones in the Steubenville Diocese.

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