RIP Cody Unterseher

The Reverend Cody Unterseher, priest of the Anglican communion, doctoral student in liturgy at Notre Dame University, graduate of Saint John’s University School of Theology, Pray Tell contributor, has passed away. The notice from the Caringbridge site:

Dear Friends,

It is with deep sorrow and sadness that we announce the death of our beloved priest and friend, Father Cody Unterseher.

As you know, on April 13,  Father Unterseher suffered an aneurysm and was admitted to New York – Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center. Today he died from complications associated with the aneurysm.  He died peacefully in his sleep at 5:36 pm, surrounded by his parents, Carol Costa and a pastoral team of Mother Brown, Father David Sibley and Mother Suzanne Toro.

Father Unterseher will be lying in repose in the Chapel of the Guardian Angel, which is on the lower level of Christ Church, Bronxville, on Friday April 27. (Visiting hours will be determined tomorrow).

A Mass of the Resurrection will be held on Saturday April 28 at 10:30 am at Christ Church, with interment in North Dakota.

Please pray for the soul of Father Cody Unterseher, his family and the Christ Church community.

UPDATE:

The visiting hours are on Friday from 6-8 pm. Prayers will be at 7pm.

Anthony Ruff, OSB

Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, is a monk of St. John's Abbey. He teaches liturgy, liturgical music, and Gregorian chant at St. John's University School of Theology-Seminary. He is widely published and frequently presents across the country on liturgy and music. He is the author of Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform: Treasures and Transformations, and of Responsorial Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter. He does priestly ministry at the neighboring community of Benedictine sisters in St. Joseph.

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Comments

34 responses to “RIP Cody Unterseher”

  1. Fritz Bauerschmidt

    So very sad for his family and for the people of God, who will not have the opportunity to benefit from the scholarly study of the liturgy that he could have done.

    May he enjoy forever the heavenly liturgy.

    Reply
  2. Lynn Thomas

    I am so sorry to hear this. He brought much to this blog, and I can only imagine even more to his real world and those in it.

    Reply
  3. Fr. Jim Blue

    This is an unbelievably sad and tragic event.

    He will be in my prayers along with his family and parish.

    A stunning, heartbreaking reminder of our mortality.

    Reply
  4. Fr. Allan J. McDonald

    Eternal rest grant unto him and comfort to his family and friends.

    Reply
  5. Louis Bower-Bannister

    I am still unable to find words that seem to fit my feelings. Such a loss.

    Even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

    Reply
  6. Fran Rossi Szpylczyn

    I am so greatly saddened to hear of his passing. Peace and rest eternal for him in the heart of Christ, and consolation for so many who will mourn him.

    Reply
  7. Dale Rodriguez

    PrayTell now has a wonderful intercessor in heaven.
    Fr. Cody, pray for us.

    Reply
  8. Peter MacDonald

    RIP Fr. Cody. I have been a very long-time observer of this blog. I always opened his contributions first. His passing is a serious loss to my generation of the church (of all stripes), even before he had a chance to make his greatest contributions to so many discussions.

    Reply
  9. Paul F Ford

    How very, very sad, and what a loss to us. Yes, P-T has our own patron.

    Reply
    1. Clay Zambo

      That’s a really lovely thought. Offering prayers for Fr. Cody and his family. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.

      Reply
  10. M. Jackson Osborn

    My prayers go up for Fr and his family. Always, when reading his contributions here, one was enlightened by their content and example.

    Reply
  11. Michael Wurtz, CSC

    Terribly sad. Grateful to have known him while at Collegeville. His life and intellect in all things liturgical will be greatly missed. God grant him peace.

    Reply
  12. Brigid Rauch

    My prayers that he has a peaceful journey, and that mourners are comforted.

    Reply
  13. Linda reid

    I did not know Father Cody, but I am very saddened by the news of his passing. Not for him, as he is attending at the heavenly liturgy, but for those of us here who are left behind. Father Cody, pray for our efforts on this blog and in our ministries..

    Reply
  14. Anita Fischer

    I am so grateful to have known Father Cody while at St. John’s and have, as so many others, benefited from his scholarly insight, pastoral sensitivity, humor in the face of the ridiculous, and sheer joy for the liturgy. I can only imagine the conversations he might have around the heavenly banquet table! May he rest in peace.

    Reply
  15. Pat Vallez-Kelly

    Fr. Cody was a shining light in this blog community. I will miss his contributions. Moreover, I think I will miss his very open, generous and thoughtful spirit that shone through his writing.

    To his friends, family and colleagues who are mourning, I offer my prayers and condolences. Rest in peace, Fr. Cody.

    Reply
  16. Charles Culbreth

    The one thing that I noticed first at every one of his posts or comments was the sense of inner peace and joy of his visage shown on his avatar photo. Such a lovely disposition from which to proceed to his wisdom, which will be sorely missed here and elsewhere.
    RIP, Father.

    Reply
  17. Fr Bosco Peters

    So sad to see this news. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

    Reply
  18. Dunstan Harding

    I’m very shocked and saddened to hear this news. Father Cody and his family will be in my prayers.

    I’m going to miss his insights and his ability to expand our understanding of the liturgy into areas not always appreciated by other contributors.

    RIP

    Reply
  19. crystal watson

    Sorry to read this – very sad.

    Reply
  20. Jeffery BeBeau

    I too am shocked at the passing of Cody. I had corresponded with him a number of times. He showed us the value of ecumenism and that we aren’t as far a part as we sometimes think. I am reminded of a phrase from the BCP that gives consolation in the face of grief, “in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life.” Death makes real our belief in the resurrection.

    Reply
  21. Jordan Zarembo

    Thank you, Fr. Cody, for your insight and wisdom. He never failed to show kindness towards other respondents on PTB. Fr. Cody stood firm in his convictions. His convictions were strengthened by his charity.

    Fr. Cody surely “worthily magnified His holy name”, to paraphrase the Collect for Purity.

    Reply
  22. Rita Ferrone

    It was through Pray Tell that I met Cody. Although he was living in South Bend Indiana, studying at Notre Dame, and was by birth from the heartland of North Dakota, his parish assignment happened to be right up the street from where I live in New York. Cody noticed this with delight and suggested that we get together sometime when he was in town.

    What a gift this turned out to be. Over the course of time, I came to know Cody not only as a fellow blogger, but as a person of faith, a valued colleague in scholarship and ministry, and a friend. Anyone who has read his contributions to this blog knows of his passion for liturgy. He loved the liturgy and brought joy to his work, always. The knowledge and expertise he had he also shared gladly, performing prodigies of labor for friends and mentors and for his beloved parish.

    What may not have been so well-known, because he did it quietly, is that Cody felt himself to have a mission–a mission of reconciliation. Not only did he encourage mutual appreciation as our “resident Episcopalian” (as he once termed himself here), but he also rejoiced whenever he could be an instrument of peace between factions in the so-called “liturgy wars.”

    I struggle with the sense that his death is untimely, that he was taken from this world much too soon. Yet it is perhaps not so small a thing for a man of thirty-some-odd years to have lived with a sense not only of career but of calling, and not only of calling but of mission. Cody was a genuinely good man. He ran the good race. Many people will miss him. And so will I.

    Reply
    1. Graham Wilson

      Thanks Rita, for your memory of Cody.

      So very sad. His friends and family are in my thoughts and prayers.

      Reply
  23. Michael Podrebarac

    A true pastor of souls and Christian gentleman. May his memory be eternal.

    Reply
  24. Bonnie Staiger, OblSB

    A patron, indeed. The Oblates of Assumption Abbey will miss his wisdom and strength. My prayers of comfort for his family. +

    Reply
  25. Anne M Mullen

    I am so sorry.
    Peace and love to his family and friends.

    Reply
  26. Fr. Jan Michael Joncas

    I, too, mourn the loss of Fr. Cody to the world of liturgical scholarship, to pastoral care, and to this blog (as well as to his family and friends). I pray that through the Lord’s grace Fr. Cody will join forever in the heavenly liturgy whose earthly manifestations he so deeply loved. And I pray that Fr. Cody will continue to model for us passionate conviction about the truths and values of Christian faith with exquisite charity for those with whom we interact.

    Reply
  27. Rev Katie Nelson

    Dear Cody will be missed. We go way back, a dear friend who was an attendant at our wedding. So sad. Prayers to his family.

    Reply
  28. Jonathan Day Avatar
    Jonathan Day

    A terrible loss.

    May Fr Cody rest in peace and may the Lord comfort his family and friends.

    Reply
  29. Philip Endean SJ

    may he indeed rest in peace, and may all who mourn him be consoled.

    Reply
  30. Timothy Johnston

    I am not sure if this has already been posted somewhere else, but here are the two worship aids from the funeral.
    http://www.feedingonmanna.org/?p=117

    Here’s the sermon.
    http://www.feedingonmanna.org/?p=111

    Reply
  31. Michaelene Devine

    As soon as I got near a computer I checked to see how Fr Cody was doing –I am so sorry to read of his death. Surely, this fits the definition of an untimely death! However, God’s time and plan are not ours….
    We will keep him, his dear family and friends in our prayers.
    I’m grateful for his life and contributions to this blog!

    Reply
  32. Terri Miyamoto

    I keep coming back to the sad/strange coincidence that apparently Fr Cody and I both use the same web site to catalog our libraries — because right on my home page of librarything.com it tells me whose library is most like mine: Cody_Unterseher, with whom I share 146 books.

    Reply

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