THE Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio
A native son of St. John the Baptist Church and 1969 graduate of Rome Catholic High School is back home. Effective yesterday, the Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio started as pastor of St. John the Baptist Church and Transfiguration Church.
Bishop Robert Cunningham, Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, appointed the son of the late Percy and Marie Angelicchio. His father served eight years in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s as supervisor of the First Ward. His mother, Marie, resides in Rome, along with a sister, Mary Graulich, and two brothers, Michael and David. Since 2003, Father Angelicchio has served as the pastor of Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter Church in Syracuse. During his assignment there, he merged the two parishes resulting in the closing of St. Peter Church. He also merged the Our Lady of Pompei Church School with the Cathedral School resulting in the one Cathedral School of Pompei.
In 1992, Bishop O’Keefe appointed him Pastor of Holy Family Church in Fairmont, Syracuse, the largest parish in the diocese, with 4,000 families. While there, the parish built a new church, relacing one which seated 700, with one that seats 1,200. That meant the parish could be served in six Masses instead of nine. The church was paid for when he left in 2003.
Other assignments included parochial vicar at Our Lady of Pompei Church in Syracuse, part-time parochial vicar at St. Ann’s Church in Manlius and part-time Director of Corcoran Faith Center, director of Fowler/Corcoran Center and parochial vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Syracuse.
From 1977 to 1999, Father Angelicchio served as Police Chaplain for the City of Syracuse.
Father Angelicchio pursued his theological studies at Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell and completed his studies at St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester. He was ordained on May 7, 1977, and offered his first Mass at St. John the Baptist Church on May 8, 1977. The Rev. Philip A. Hearn, Parochial Vicar, gave the homily.
Father Angelicchio says, "I look forward to serving the people as their pastor. It is going to be a challenge with two parishes, but the Lord will give me the strength and ability to do it." Father will be residing at St. John’s Rectory, along with his border collie/lab mix dog, "Charlie."
