NORWALK—The Rev. Michael Boccaccio doesn’t believe in reincarnation. He is Catholic after all.
But if, by some chance, he does come back in another life, he wants to be a seagull.
“I love flying, I love the sea, and I’d love to leave my signature on a few heads,” Boccaccio said.
This sentiment is, of course, a Boccaccio signature in itself. The priest, known for his sense of humor and outspoken attitude, has been nearly a 30-year fixture at St. Philip Church on France Street in Norwalk.
Boccaccio retired in January, a milestone that will be celebrated Sunday following the 11:30 a.m. Mass. During Mass, an installation ceremony will take place for the Rev. Sudhir DSouza, who was appointed Jan. 31 by Bishop Frank Caggiano of the Diocese of Bridgeport.
Though he is technically retiring, Boccaccio is clear it won’t be an ordinary retirement. He’ll remain a senior active priest — he jokingly refers to himself as a SAP — until his 75th birthday in 2018. He is currently assisting in the Our Lady of Peace parish in Stratford, where he lives in the Lordship neighborhood, a waterfront community.
Despite his decision to remain active, Boccaccio is easing into retirement by embracing waterfront living and making travel plans to study the history of the church as documented by art.
The transition hasn’t been as easy as he’d anticipated, he said. Old habits die hard, and he genuinely enjoyed all 28 years, seven months, three weeks and five days of his time at St. Philip Church. Boccaccio, of course, remembers the exact day and time he started at St. Philip’s — noon on Friday June 10, 1988.
“It was wonderful,” Boccaccio said. “It is a major and perhaps the longest chapter of my life.”
Boccaccio sited three significant accomplishments from his tenure at the Norwalk parish that he is particularly proud of.
“One is serving a parish of such dedicated and devoted parishioners, and doing so with a reliable, talented and giving staff,” Boccaccio said. “The second, and this is a major feather in my cap, is that this church had no art in it when I started. But because I am so fond of art, and through working with, especially Ed Spires, we transformed a blank canvas into a museum of Christian art that encompasses various histories and cultures.”
The church — built in the 1950s during the height of midcentury-modern architecture — is something of an art piece itself with its tentlike roof. Inside, Boccaccio and his staff have brought in pieces such as a representation of Greek icons, an Italian crucifix and a Spanish Madonna.
“The most beautiful part is that the design was orchestrated so it could be changeable,” Boccaccio said.
Boccaccio’s third point of pride is the time he spent connecting with the Norwalk community. He served on two separate boards at Norwalk Hospital over 25 years, he served as the police chaplain and he was a founding member of the St. Philips Artist Guild, located in the mansion behind the church. Boccaccio believes his affinity for art — both secular and non-secular — stems from his Italian roots.
Boccaccio was the third pastor at St. Philip Church, which was founded in 1964. As for handing the reigns to DSouza, Boccaccio said he couldn’t be happier.
“I am so pleased that the parish will flourish under his leadership,” Boccaccio said.
Both Boccaccio and DSouza cited the diversity of the parish as one of its greatest strengths. It’s a legacy Boccaccio built and one DSouza plans to continue through interfaith services and his own affinity for sports.
DSouza plays beach volleyball at Calf Pasture Beach, soccer twice a week and ping pong five days a week.
“It’s a way that I can connect with people even if they’re not religious,” DSouza said. “And the interfaith service, that has been huge. We’re getting people to come together of different faiths. There are a lot of bad things happening in the world and this allows people to see and say, ‘OK they’re not that different from me.’”
The Mass and the reception for Boccaccio are free and open to the public, regardless of religious affiliation.
