Fortunately, when Robert Lussier, 76, the veteran actor of stage, film and television, was ordained a Catholic priest in 1992, he was able to fall back on his knowledge of improvisation.

"My aunt and uncle came in from Rhode Island for the ceremony. They had been married earlier in a civil ceremony and right after I became a priest, they asked me to marry them in the church. A couple of hours later, I performed my first marriage," he said. "Then, that evening, as I drove a friend of mine, a seminarian who came to my ordination, back to the airport, he asked me to listen to his confession. So I heard my first confession at the Los Angeles airport."

Lussier's memorable ordination took place at his parish church, St. Ambrose, in Hollywood with his family, friends and agent, in attendance.

"I became disillusioned when the corporations took over the entertainment business; they were more concerned with profit than quality and that's when all of the sex and violence on TV and in the movies began to proliferate," he said.

In 1986, Lussier, a devout Catholic, joined a Benedictine prayer group in Los Angeles that was sponsored by the nuns at the Immaculate Heart community. It was there that he learned about the Pecos Monastery and decided to travel to Northern New Mexico for a 10-day retreat.

"When I returned to California I worked with Monsignor George H. Niederauer, who is now the Archbishop of San Francisco. During a month of prayer and discernment, while listening to the Holy Spirit, I decided to devote my life to God. That's when I came back to New Mexico. I haven't left since," he said.

Robert Lussier was born in 1934 in West Warwick, R.I. He was one of three children born to Rose Tatro and René Lussier. His two sisters have since passed away. As a young man he enlisted in the Navy and was engaged to be married twice, but neither courtship lasted. After completing his military service, Lussier enrolled at Brown University and was active with the choir at St. Mary's Church in his hometown. That's when the liturgist, Alexander Peloquin, took note of Lussier's musical abilities and invited him to join a musical ensemble that traveled throughout New England.

The group was invited to perform for the three major television networks at the time, CBS, NBC and ABC. Lussier's first brush with television was exciting, and the fact that he was also performing in musicals led to his decision to move to New York in 1963 to pursue a career as an actor.

"I was very lucky. Within six months, I had enough work doing commercials that I was able to pursue acting roles on stage," he said.

Lussier's face and voice became a mainstay of television commercials in the 1960s for everything from Dial soap to spaghetti. In 1969, he moved to Los Angeles and for the next 24 years acted in popular TV series including That Girl, Bonanza, Room 222, Get Smart, The Rockford Files, Quincy, Colombo, The Jeffersons and The Love Boat. His movie repertoire is even more impressive and includes Serpico, Airport 1975, Exorcist II, The Magic of Lassie, Fun with Dick and Jane, The Heretic, Mr. Mom and Heist.

Today, Lussier continues to keep his SAG membership active and, as a member of that organization, is sent new movies that he votes on for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, a prelude to the Academy Awards.

Throughout his career, Lussier often portrayed the role of a minister or priest. "I was the minister during the first season of the Love Boat and I also performed the marriage for the Volkswagen in the movie Herbie," he said.

Today, Father Bob Lussier keeps busy presiding over Mass at the Carmelite Monastery four days a week and at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Cristo Rey.

Unlike his previous life on stage, "I'm no longer an actor pretending to be someone else. Now I'm myself doing God's work and I'm very happy."

Ana Pacheco's weekly tribute to our community elders appears every Sunday. She can be reached at 505-474-2800.