Fr. John George Rocus

Rev. John George Rocus was born on May 17, 1949 in Detroit, Michigan to John George Rocus Sr. and Anna V. Rocus (nee Skupien). He died on Saturday, August 9, 2025. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Beverly Ann Rocus, who died as an infant, and his brother Gary Thomas Rocus. He is survived by many beloved cousins and a grateful flock of spiritual children whom he served with love, trust and faithfulness to his last day.
John grew up in Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn, Michigan, attended Sacred Heart High School in Dearborn and in 1967 began studies at the Center for Creative Studies for Car Design. In his final semester, a class on woodworking piqued his interest and changed the direction of his life as he graduated from the Center in 1973. John taught high school industrial arts in Adrian, then became an independent woodworking artisan in Ann Arbor. This cultivated a lifelong passion for forming wood into beautiful objects. He also enjoyed working for the Salvation Army in Ann Arbor for some years.
Fr. John was a late vocation to the priesthood. He listened not only to God's call but also to fellow Catholics who told him that they thought he had a vocation. After graduating from Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin he was ordained by Bishop Carl Mengeling on June 9, 2001. He served as an associate pastor at St. Joseph, Howell, pastor at St. Agnes, Flint and pastor at Holy Spirit, Brighton from 2007 until he retired in 2024 due to illness.
His ministry as a priest focused on bringing people to Christ in a very engaging and non-threatening manner. He was a man of good humor who often used devotions to bring people closer to Christ, whether to St. Philomena, the Divine Mercy Chaplet or the Shroud of Turin. His love of Our Lady and the saints was something he regularly shared with all his parishioners at daily masses and beyond, offering stories, books and art to inspire them. His interest in these devotions and in the saints showcased his conviction that the Incarnation brought God and His beauty into our everyday, physical world in a special way. This conviction is memorialized in his additions of the Trinity Trail and other statues at Holy Spirt, as well as the outdoor Stations of the Cross with Catholic Health Care International's Padre Pio Project in Brighton.
In later life, Fr. John was much more interested in working with the Holy Spirit to help form souls than in woodworking. His last project, however-embellishing his casket-incorporated not only his strong faith but also his skill in woodworking and his good humor. Among other things, he added a quote from Scripture: "I stand at the door and KNOCK, if any man hear my voice and OPEN the door, I will come to him and will sup with him, and HE WITH ME." Rev. 3:20
Visitation for Fr. John will take place on Friday, August 15, 2025, from 1:00PM-8:00PM (Chaplet of The Divine Mercy 3:00PM, recitation of the Rosary 5:00PM, Scripture Service 7:00PM), at Borek Jennings Funeral Home, Hamburg Chapel. His Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at 11:00AM (10:00AM gathering), at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Brighton, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Please leave a message of comfort for Fr. John's family at 1-877-231-7900, or sign his guestbook at www.borekjennings.com
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