Chalice Story
By Melanie Sisinni
02/10/2026
Through nearly five decades of ministry, Msgr. Richard Siefer has carried a quiet steadiness and a chalice shaped by his family and faith. Now retired and serving as episcopal vicar for the Eastern Vicariate, he reflects on the threads of mentorship and family woven into his vocation.
Born and raised in Oil City, Msgr. Siefer grew up in a family that valued faith even in difficult circumstances.
“My parents struggled financially to get this [chalice] for me, but they were willing to sacrifice,” he said.
Selected in the early 1970s at Adrian Hamers in New York City, the chalice is simply designed. Msgr. Sifer’s mother insisted on one detail: a small diamond from his grandfather’s tie tack was set into the base.
“I just wanted it simple,” said Msgr. Siefer. “But my mom was stubborn. She wanted that diamond there.”
While the chalice recalls family ties, it also symbolizes the mentorship that helped shape him. His first pastor, Msgr. Henry Schauerman, had known him since childhood as an assistant at St. Joseph Parish in Oil City. Decades later, being assigned to him as a newly ordained priest felt providential.
“He was a great mentor for a young priest,” Msgr. Siefer said.
He remembers with clarity the day he received his first emergency hospital call.
“He offered to go with me, and I said, ‘Thank you, Father Schauerman, I appreciate you offering but I need to do this.’” He adds, “Just the fact that he offered to go with me meant the world,” Msgr. Siefer added.
That experience shaped the way he would later mentor others, including Father Ben Daghir, who served his first assignment with him at Holy Spirit Parish during the challenging years of the DuBois parish mergers, making their collaboration even more meaningful.
“Personally, I’m grateful to Father Ben,” Msgr. Siefer said. “He really brought people together. He was essential to that transition.”
A meaningful tribute to their connection came when it was time for Msgr. Siefer to revise his will.
“In my will, when God calls me home, this goes to Father Ben,” Msgr. Siefer said, gesturing toward the chalice. “And I told him: ‘You’re preaching at my funeral. And Benjamin, if you don’t do a good job, I’m going to haunt you for the rest of your life.’”
The friendship between the two priests illustrates the generational continuity at the heart of priestly ministry. Just as Msgr. Schauerman accompanied him, Msgr. Siefer has tried to accompany younger priests with honesty, humor and commitment.
That same commitment to supporting others shapes his work as episcopal vicar for the eastern region of the diocese, representing the bishop from Warren down to Coalport — a responsibility he continues even in retirement.
His years of service have also shaped his perspective on why supporting the broader church matters.
“Without support, you may have the building, but you don’t have the Mass. You don’t have the priest.”
For Msgr. Siefer, giving is never about budgets. It is about sustaining the sacramental life of the church and ensuring that faith communities have pastoral care and the necessary resources to remain alive.
The sense of continuity — of one generation supporting the next — mirrors what he sees when he looks at his own chalice. He sees a life shaped by deep ties: the steadfastness of his mother, the encouragement of a mentor and the friendship of younger priests who now carry the work forward.
Someday, it will pass to the next generation, carrying with it not only the holiness of the Eucharist but the quiet story of a man who served his people well.
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