A mixed gathering of students, clergy and members of the greater Dayton faith community converged at University of Dayton's Immaculate Conception Chapel Thursday, March 27, for a morning praise service to remember J. Roland Bailey, the former UD campus minister who died Saturday, March 22, after being found beaten in a driveway near his home.

Following opening remarks by interdenominational minister LaKendra Hardware, several UD students stood in the pulpit and spoke of the Bailey they remembered.

Student Jerry Davis, president of the UD chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, called him a "father figure."

"He came in with high spirits and uplifted our chapter," Davis said. "He became part of the family. He came at a time when our chapter was struggling. We didn't have a facility. But that all changed after Roland got involved. He will never be forgotten."

Davis closed his remarks by singing the Alpha Phi Alpha anthem.

Also in attendance was Earle Mundell of Dayton's Zion Baptist Church. Mundell befriended Bailey just after he (Bailey) had earned his Ph.D from United Theological Seminary.

"He was a student at the seminary and was looking for a local church to attend," Mundell recalled. "He chose our church. At first he just sat there. Then one Sunday he joined the church and explained who he was.

"As a deacon, I went to the new-members class with him. He eventually preached a few sermons at Zion and I saw him growing into a dynamic preacher. When we were looking for a pastor he came to mind and we encouraged him to submit his application."

Mundell, who in the late 1940s was the first black scholarship football player at Penn State, said he and Bailey shared something special.

"In talking with him I found out he was raised in Erie, Pa.," Mundell said. "My college roommate was from Erie. I used to go there for Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation and got to know the city pretty well. We really bonded after that."

Bailey took the job of interdenominational minister for the University of Dayton's campus ministry in 2005.

"He kept his relationship with us but he was putting a lot of his effort at UD. We tried to encourage him to get some of his students to come to our service but at the same time they were trying to develop a service program there," Mundell said.

The last time Mundell saw him, Bailey was about to interview for the post of senior pastor of Zion Baptist Church.

"I didn't know he had applied for the job and got an interview," Mundell said. "But he pulled me aside and we had prayer. I prayed that God's will would be done in his life and if this was for him, so be it. That was my last talk with him."