Detroit — Fr. Ronald Alder might not have spoken much, but the words he did speak profoundly impacted those around him, a fellow priest recalled.

“Father was a very quiet, private man,” said Fr. Joe Mallia, pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Allen Park, where Fr. Alder had lived and served in retirement. “I think he appreciated the quiet and privacy that he had, but he also lived his life in a very public, ministerial way. He served a lot of parishes and did a lot of good over the course of his life.”

Fr. Alder, who served multiple parishes and most recently was pastor of St. Irene Parish in Dundee until 2002, died Dec. 23 at the age of 80.

Fr. Mallia said despite Fr. Alder’s private nature, he was a model of faithfulness and prayer to his parishioners and others.

“He had a profound knowledge of the Church, and he kept current with many of the issues that were going on in the world and in the Church,” Fr. Mallia said, adding, “People really appreciated the holiness that he showed when he said Mass.”

Because Fr. Alder experienced his own health problems, he was led to a special love and care for others who suffered from illness, Fr. Mallia said, including celebrating Mass at local nursing homes on a regular basis.

Fr. Alder, who served two years in the military before his ordination, was also an “avid walker” and enjoyed traveling, visiting with friends and watching sports, Fr. Mallia said.

As an example of his servant’s heart, Fr. Alder was always willing to take on unpopular assignments, Fr. Mallia said, despite his own difficulties involving health and other things.

“He had a hard life,” Fr. Mallia said. “Things weren’t always easy for him, but he never lost hope. He always trusted in the Lord. If there’s one phrase that I would talk about with Fr. Ron, it was that he really was faithful and prayerful.”

Fr. Alder was born July 1, 1934, in Detroit to Joseph and Dorothy Alder, the brother of the late Thomas and Dennis.

He attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township before being ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit on June 7, 1969.

Fr. Alder’s first assignment was as associate pastor of Divine Child Parish in Dearborn (1969-72). He also served as associate pastor of National Shrine of the Little Flower Parish, Royal Oak (1972-75); St. Cyprian Parish, Riverview (1975-76); St. Mary Magdalen Parish, Melvindale (1976, 1985-88); St. Kieran Parish, Shelby Township (1976-79); St. Paul on the Lake Parish, Grosse Pointe Farms (1982-85); St. Blase Parish, Sterling Heights (1988-93); and St. Isaac Jogues Parish, St. Clair Shores (1993-96).

Fr. Alder served as pastor of St. James Parish, Ferndale (1979-82); and St. Irene Parish, Dundee (1996-2002), before being granted senior priest status.

A funeral Mass was celebrated for Fr. Alder on Dec. 28 at St. Frances Cabrini Parish, Allen Park. Burial is in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield.