RIDGEFIELD—Hundreds of parishioners at St. Elizabeth Seton Church got a pleasant surprise during a Jubilee Celebration Mass of Thanksgiving for Pastor Joseph A. Prince. Father Prince who was celebrating 50 years in the priesthood, 25 of those years as pastor of the church, announced although retiring at the end of the year, he will continue as their pastor emeritus.
Pictured: Parishioners gathered at St. Elizabeth Seton Church for a Jubilee Celebration Mass of Thanksgiving for Pastor Joseph A. Prince.
“I wanted to give them a surprise,” he said of the well-kept secret. The congregation erupted in applause after the announcement at the end of Mass on Sunday, October 24.
“It was one of the most challenging things I ever did,” said Father Prince about keeping the secret.
This World Mission Sunday was very significant because on World Mission Sunday 50 years ago Father Prince was ordained a priest.
“Please join me in thanking the Lord for the 50 years of blessings,” he said at the opening of Mass. “For you are the greatest blessing I have ever received.”
He said he was thrilled Bishop Frank J. Caggiano granted his requests that enabled him to celebrate 50 years of ministerial priesthood at the age of 77, two years past customary priesthood retirement, to continue as pastor until the end of the year and to continue as pastor emeritus beyond his retirement.
“I just want to be with my people here. This is my family,” he said, and his congregation couldn’t be happier about that decision.
“He’s like a good father, very dependable and wise and caring and protective,” said Bob Young who attended the Mass with his wife, Mary. “His daily Mass and homilies are fantastic!”
The congregation echoed the sentiment about how caring Father Prince is of his flock and how meaningful it was for them that he took charge during the uncertain time of the pandemic by helping parishioners feel connected to the church through initially adopting outdoor Masses and soon after offering live streaming of Mass.
“The homilies relate to them because it is what they want to hear,” he said. “It’s not only giving the message from the scripture but making it relevant to their everyday life.”
Father Prince said he was fortunate to have impactful teachers throughout his life who were artful storytellers that would start a class with a story, joke or anecdote to get everyone’s attention before beginning to teach.
On this day, the homilist, Father Antony Asir, shared his gratitude for Father Prince’s guidance and friendship over the decades. Father Asir was an altar server at the time of Father Prince’s ordination in India.
He said the 50 years of service to others was a beautiful gift of love.
“We thank God that you allowed God to happen. That you allowed the desire of God to come alive in you,” said Father Asir, noting that Father Prince was 10- years-old when his father died and it was his mother and grandfather who encouraged him to become a priest, following in the footsteps of some of his relatives before him.
During the Mass, Father Prince was presented with a cloak by family members from his village in India.
Father’s Prince’s journey to Ridgefield was realized after a trip to Manila didn’t work out and he travelled to the United States and served as an associate at St. Mary’s in downtown Ridgefield.
“When you believe in the incredible and the impossible happens, that’s God,” Father Asir said about Father Prince’s journey. “God can do the impossible for those who believe in the incredible.”
After 16 years as an associate pastor at various churches in the diocese, Father Prince was chosen to become pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Church by then retiring Pastor Francis Medynski.
“We will never forget your Christian impact, your positive impact and influence on our community,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said, as he presented Father Prince with a proclamation. “Your leadership and spiritual guidance have served this parish community well.”
Father Prince thanked family members who were watching on live streaming all around the world.
“I am so honored and deeply grateful,” he said to all in attendance and addressing his congregation he added, “You have journeyed with me for the past 25 years. You have stood by me and we have accomplished a lot. You are special and incredible in so many ways.”
Father Prince said one of the most memorable aspects of his priesthood, is celebrating the sacraments of baptism, reconciliation, communion, confirmation and marriage with generations of families.
“That’s what makes me so happy and so fulfilled,” he said. “I was there when they were celebrating the sacraments.”
Father Prince said the love and concern he has experienced from the congregation is immeasurable. “They gave me everything I needed to minister to them. It flowed to me. They were ministering to me and I was ministering to them. That’s what really stands out to me,” he said. “They are incredibly loving people. I’ve been so blessed.”
After Mass, many attended a celebratory lunch with Father Prince in the church’s reception hall where note paper and pens were left on the round tables for people to write congratulatory comments and shared remembrances of time together over the last 25 years.
“We made a special trip from Brookfield,” said 90-year-old Jean Gunning, who attended the Mass and the reception afterwards with her daughter Jean Llewellyn, to celebrate with Father Prince.
“We loved his homilies,” Gunning said. “He’s so down to earth. He made life simple. He said don’t worry God has a plan. You could go out of Mass with that thought in your head.”
Father Prince is looking forward to his new role in the new year as pastor emeritus.
“I will help out in every possible liturgical need in the parish and pastoral care,” he said. “What I will not be doing is anything to do with administration,” he said, adding, it’s a serious responsibility as pastor to manage finances, capital projects, religious education and mediate between departments.
“I am deeply grateful for the many blessings I have received from my people and I ask that they pray for me to help me continue to learn more about what priesthood is all about and about what ministry is all about.”
By KATHY-ANN GOBIN