'He took up his cross'

By Rob Herbst
The Catholic Week
MOBILE – Whether it was through his teaching, through his writing, through his counsel or through his suffering, Fr. J. Francis Sofie, OP inspired countless throughout the Archdiocese of Mobile.   
After serving as a priest for 30 years, Fr. Sofie passed away June 22 at age of 60 after a decade-long battle with cancer. 
“It was a hard and arduous journey … He took up his cross daily. He fell often, he fell beneath the weight of that cross, but he was never impeded,” said longtime friend Fr. Alex Valladares, who serves as pastor of St. Bede the Venerable Parish in Montgomery and delivered the homily at Fr. Sofie’s Mass of Christian Burial on June 27 at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
“He would get up again and again and again and carry the cross of suffering all the way to that last day.”
Carrying his cross proved to inspire many and didn’t deter Fr. Sofie from doing everything he could to minister to those in need.
Fr. Sofie spent the past 2 ½ years in residence at St. Dominic Parish in Mobile and was vital to neighboring Corpus Christi Parish in Mobile while they suffered during a tumultuous time.
“As most people know he came to Corpus Christi in an extremely difficult time and provided us with Christ’s healing and grace,” pastor Fr. Pat Arensberg said. “He didn’t have to do it, I’d even say that he had every excuse not to help, but he did. In fact, he sought me out! Personally, I’ll forever be indebted to him for his support during that period.”
Fr. Arensberg added: “His witness to me and the people at Corpus Christi was absolutely remarkable. He embodied the command of Christ to ‘pick up your cross and follow me.’ ” 
Among Fr. Sofie’s roles was teaching Order of Christian Initiation until he no longer could. 
Teaching was at the heart of Fr. Sofie’s ministry. He taught through classes, retreats and the several books he authored. His most recent book “Praying the Mass From the Pew” was published in 2023.
“He was a teacher at heart. He loved proclaiming the word of God. He loved homilies. He loved writing them and he loved giving them,” Fr. Valladares said.
Not only did Fr. Sofie teach parishioners, but he was also instrumental to fellow priests. 
Fr. Valladares became friends with Fr. Sofie in November 1991 when the two discerned a call to be Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word before both eventually became priests of the Archdiocese of Mobile.
“He was extremely learned and especially gifted in his understanding of the Scriptures,” Fr. Valladares said. “He taught me so much about the Scriptures in those evenings we spent late into the night.”
Fr. Sofie’s physical struggles were a blessing in other ways. According to Fr. Valladares, Fr. Sofie told him in 2021 “The greatest grace is to know death is imminent and the blessing to prepare for death has been given me.” 
Another blessing is that cancer didn’t take away Fr. Sofie’s humor as Fr. Valladares quipped “Even as death approached we laughed. He said how long does it take to die?”
Knowing that he needed to prepare for death, Fr. Sofie meticulously planned his Mass of Christian Burial.  Among those who participated were the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word, who sang the hymns at the Mass.
Several priests of the Archdiocese of Mobile also showed their respect for Fr. Sofie by concelebrating the Mass.
“I like to say he was a ‘priest’s priest’ in that he embodied what priests imagine a priest should be,” Fr. Arensberg said. “He was kind, committed and happy to help any priest with anything they might be struggling with.”
Fr. Sofie helped throughout the archdiocese. 
He first served as parochial vicar at St. Ignatius Parish in Mobile, then also served at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Auburn, Holy Redeemer Parish in Eufaula, St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Mobile, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Mobile, St. Peter Parish in Montgomery and St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Atmore as well as McGill-Toolen Catholic High School.
Faithful from throughout the archdiocese filled the Cathedral because of what Fr. Sofie meant to so many.
“Thank you for the gift of Frank,” Archbishop Rodi remarked to Fr. Sofie’s family at the outset of Mass “Indeed he has been a gift to so many people. Look at this (full) church.”

To see photos from Fr. Sofie's Mass of Christian Burial, click the link:https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1027210179405311&set=pcb.1027211029405226