Fr. Raaser Remembering Msgr. Frank Oliverio He loved being who he is for the past 57 years. The death of a priest is unlike the death of any other person: we feel it differently, deeply. We sense that in losing him, we have lost not only the man but also his unique way of manifesting God to us. The voice that spoke of God has been silenced; hands that once blessed are powerless. Since a priest is one who takes on the person of Christ, his leave of us is somewhat of a loss in our very communication with our Lord. No one will ever again exemplify Christ for us in the singular and unique way that this particular priest has done. He was ordained a priest June 2, 1956 along with 38 other young men from his class. His first assignment was as an assistant at St. Joseph’s in the Bronx and he went on to serve St. Agatha’s Home in Nanuet, where he became “Father Frank” to hundreds of young orphans. After happy years in Nanuet, he was assigned to St. Lucy’s then St. Francis of Assisi in the Bronx. Father Frank then became pastor of St. Ann’s in Ossining in 1981. Monsignor became the Director of the Archdiocesan Office of Evangelization in 1996. In late 1999, Cardinal O’Connor appointed Monsignor Oliverio as pastor of Immaculate Conception and Assumption Parishes in Tuckahoe until 2005, when he retired from parish duties. It was this union with Christ that guided and shaped the life of Father Frank. In his case, this was so much so that it would be difficult to define his personality, even to conceive of his life, apart from the priesthood. He loved being a priest and everything he did, was priestly. He saw the needs of his people and responded to them. Many of the programs and ministries that we have here in our parishes today were his response to the needs he saw; most particularly the Latino ministry that is now flourishing at Assumption. Monsignor was a true priestly-gentleman, always courteous, humble and kind; he seemed to inhabit a different world from ours. And what made that true was his fidelity to prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament. He spent long periods in prayer to his God in the Person of the Holy Spirit and often spoke reverently about the Blessed Mother. Father was his best with his direct and visible contact with people through his sacramental ministry: Mass, his visits to the sick and Communion calls; and, perhaps most noteworthy of all, his dedication to the confessional. Father Frank was hardly a person much attached to worldly possessions. He had little and seemed to need little. But he was generous in his time, talents and donations. And for me personally during these past 9 years, it was in his bearing in silence bodily pain and mental anguish. He kept hidden from nearly everyone the pains he was made to endure. I should add also that his sorrows were equally secret. His retirement from our parish nearly broke his heart. He never wanted to leave his beloved Tuckahoe family. And I know when he returned to Mt. Vernon, there was a joy, he was close to home. I believe that he endured all this not out of sheer stoic determination, but as a Christian bearing his cross. I wish to thank Father Frank, Monsignor Oliverio, for his life as a dedicated priest, a true shepherd-pastor and as a steadfast Christian. And I want to thank you, the people of these parishes, for the manifest love you have shown to Monsignor over the years and for your prayers for him. And a special gratitude to those, you know who you are, for your regular visits, your many gifts and the joy and happiness you brought to Monsignor in his last days. There’s a line in the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey that we should all keep close to our hearts: “In love, our very mistakes don’t seem to be able to last long.” We will all miss Monsignor Oliverio here, but we will rely on his continued priestly help from the next life. Let us remember our spiritual grandfather, Monsignor Oliverio, in our prayers and Masses, never presuming upon his merits, rather imploring the good Lord soon to grant him fellowship with the saints, and unbounded happiness and everlasting union with Jesus and His beloved Blessed Mother. Tu es sacerdos in aeternam - You are a priest forever!
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 17:58:15 +0000
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