FATHER JOSEPH T. SULLIVAN PASSES AWAY

Father Joseph T. Sullivan, pastor here in Fairfax from June 18, 1986 until October 1, 1996 passed away yesterday. Father Joe was the present pastor of St. Patrick's in Fairfield.

I have no further information at this time, but will post as soon as it becomes available, however, Father Sullivan gave me the following information on himself while I was working on the History Of St. Luke's Parish:

"Father Joseph T. Sullivan was born January 27, 1926 in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Rufus J. and Anna (Milos) Sullivan. His father Rufus served in WW1 and was a bookkeeper while his mother was a homemaker. He attended public schools in Springfield, Westfield, and Ware, Massachusetts. His high school, college, and post-graduate education was in La Salette Seminaries in Hartford and Bloomfield, Ct., Altamont, N.Y., Milford, Iowa and Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Father Sullivan was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood on May 1, 1952 in St. Peter's Church in Lowell, Massachusetts. He taught at La Salette Seminary (H.S.) from 1952-54 and his Parish Assignments were St. Francis de Sales, Phoenicia, N.Y. 1954-1955, St. Stanislaus, Nashua, N.H. (three months), Our Lady of Sorrows, Hartford, Ct. 1955-60, Our Lady of La Salette, Rainham, Essex, England 1960-62, St. James, Danielson, Ct. 1963-65, Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, St. Joseph, Burlington, Vt. 1965-70, Sts. Donatian and Rogatian, Randolph, Vt. 1970-74, Communication Director, Diocese of Burlington (radio, television, film and press) 1974-88, and lastly at St. Luke, Fairfax, Vt. 1986-1996.

Father Sullivan retired in 1996, and continues to assist in various parishes along with his position as diocesan Director For Evangelization which he has held since 1979. He is also spending his retirement years enjoying his hobbies of tennis, jogging, carpentry, travel and writing. Father has published three books, Exploring The Sunday Gospel (Liguori Publications), Good Morning, Lord (Twenty Third Publications), Good Night, Lord (Twenty Third Publications). (Apparently retirement was not for Father Sullivan at that time, so he returned to become a full time Parish Priest)

During the writing of this History of St. Luke's Parish, I sent a letter to Father Sullivan and asked him if he could tell me how his decision came about to become a priest. He explained to me that it was a gradual thing. He entered the seminary in his first year of high school and as the years went along he came to the decision. The bottom line, however, was that he believed that becoming a priest was the best way for him to save his soul, although, he observed, there are other pursuits and careers in which people, presumably, would be attaining life's ultimate goal.

The following is a quote from his letter to me on September 25, 1998:

"I am grateful for the privilege of having served at St. Luke's. Christ said that he came not to be served, but to serve. It is a blessing to have assisted the good parishioners in Fairfax, Fletcher, and Westford for the ten years I spent as pastor. We journey through life side by side with Jesus. He unites us in a family of faith. There are many reasons to be thankful for the participation and involvement of our parishioners.

It is very pleasing to see that we continue to support the good works of Sister Cecile's Mission. I believe that our monthly checks and annual lawn and bake sales were initiated about ten years ago. This provides us with a sense of mission as well as a sense of accomplishment. If all our parishioners had the opportunity to observe the poverty in the Dominican Republic, and the excellent work of Religious Hospitalers of St. Joseph are doing, they would be truly inspired."

In September of 1986, the Katherine Hoben Fund was established. The monies contributed were to be used to construct a ramp for the handicapped at St. Luke's Church. Katherine passed away earlier in the month and was a lifetime resident of Fairfax and an active parishioner who had also served as housekeeper at the rectory during the pastorate of Father Raymond Giroux.

In 1987, parishioners at St. Luke's made contributions for 24 inch outdoor statues for an outside Christmas crèche. Each statue was purchased in memory of a loved one. A plaque with names and the particular statues was attached to the stable during advent and an outdoor rustic stable was built to proportion and constructed by Wendall Nolan.

Also, in 1987, St. Luke's parish adopted into its care the foreign mission of San Jose de Ocoa in the Dominican Republic. Sister Cecile Smith, a native of Richford, Vermont and a Religious Hospitaller of St. Joseph had been working in San Jose de Ocoa for 15 years. Six percent of the parish's ordinary income as well as individual contributions and revenue from an annual lawn and bake sale were sent to this charity. This practice continued throughout Father Sullivan's Pastorate at St. Luke's and is still continuing under Father Feltz's Pastorate in 1998.

On April 30, 1988, St. Luke's Parish requested permission to sell its present rectory at 1166 Main Street in Fairfax and build a new rectory near the church. The consulters and the Bishop replied in the negative and even after being petitioned for reconsideration on September 14, 1988 replied that "In their judgment," the Bishop said, "it is inopportune to sell a very substantial rectory in Fairfax and build another near the church which would cost more than the sale price." The market value of the old rectory, at that time, was estimated at $119,000-$124,000. The proposed rectory was estimated at $149,000.

In 1989, St. Luke's parish acquired a new set of Stations of the Cross in February. The Stations originally hung in Holy Family Church in Essex Junction. They were given to Father Philip Branon of St. Rose of Lima Church in South Hero by Father Leo Gingras and had hung in the basement of St. Rose Church as aids to the religious education classes. Father Sullivan blessed the new Stations and erected them canonically. These Stations are larger than the previous ones. They are graphic and portray the scenes of the Way of the Cross more realistically.

In September, 1989, having received the approval of the diocesan authorities, a ramp for the handicapped was constructed by J & L Foundations. The ramp begins at the rear door of St. Luke's Church and travels back and forth close to the building for a distance of 72 feet. This complies with state regulations of one inch per foot in slant elevation. The cost was $16,863. On Sunday, November 19, 1989, the new ramp for the handicapped was blessed by Father Sullivan immediately after the 11 a.m. Mass. Maryann (Hoben) Raymond, daughter of Katherine Hoben and Henry Raymond, Maryann's husband, cut the tape, symbolically opening the new access.

On October 26, 1989, the church driveways and parking lot were paved by the Roy Yandow Company of St. Albans, Vermont at a cost of $15,500. The black asphalt was also extended over the front sidewalks leading to the Church entrance. The soil on the church site is clay. The paving is expected to remedy the ongoing and ever-recurring pot holes. It should also facilitate snow removal in the winter months.

Early in 1990, the old garage (used solely for storage) next to the parish rectory was dismantled and removed.

In 1990, the parish re-purchased the 1.8 acres of land adjacent to the church parking lot. The parcel had been sold to the Town of Fairfax. The Town intended to build a fire station there, but as details developed, the station was constructed on the opposite side of Route 104 on land sold to the town by Robert Young. The parish had sold the land for $9,000, and was able to buy it back at the same price.

In the fall of 1990, the parish contracted with J. A. Roberts of St. Albans to paint the interior of the church. From a dark brown, the walls became white. Muffi Sterling was hired to make new blue drapes and blue accessories for the tabernacle area. Chair cushions for the chairs in the sanctuary were covered with matching blue.

In addition to the renewal and refurbishing of the church, a new altar was donated anonymously in memory of Myron Jones and William Holmes. New white Mass vestments were donated by John and Mary McDevitt in memory of Mary's mother, Marion Ponto. New red Mass vestments were donated by Tim and Jeannette Wills in memory of Jeannette's father, Leo P. Guelpa. New green vestments were donated by John and Betty Collins in memory of their fathers, Owen Collins and Harold Shepardson. A new benediction veil and stole were donated by Michael and Agnes Hibbs. A new benediction cope was donated anonymously.

Bishop John A. Marshall blessed the new altar and preached at the church Sunday, January 20, 1991. Parishioners were pleased and grateful, not only to have Bishop Marshall for the special Mass, but also that the bishop graced the occasion by participating in the luncheon that followed.

During the succeeding months and into 1991, parishioners volunteered to paint the classrooms in the lower church.

A complete roster of parish family names was published as well as the photos of 108 families by a representative of the National Directory Service for Catholic Parishes in Cleveland, Tennessee on May 24, 25, 26, 1991 and distributed on November 9, 1991. Mary McDevitt was our chairperson and chief organizer.

A Knights of Columbus council was organized and chartered in St. Luke's Parish in 1992. Named after the parish's first resident pastor, The Donald C. Kelly Council #10830 formally received its charter from State Deputy, Bob Ose, on June 28, 1992.

On Sunday, December 6, 1992, eleven women were formally installed as members of the newly-formed parish women's group.

After a meeting of several parishioners in the summer of 1992, it was recommended that a monument to the unborn be erected on church grounds. The parish contracted with Densmore Monuments of Burlington. A rose-colored stone monument depicting the Holy Family was blessed October 25, 1992. It reads, IN MEMORY OF THE CHILDREN WHOSE LIVES WERE TAKEN WHILE AWAITING BIRTH. BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF YOUR WOMB (Luke 1:42). The monument was given in memory of Mary Ratte who passed away June 6, 1992. It is a gift to the parish by the Steve Ratte family.

In 1996, final approval was received to build a new rectory located on the Huntville Road property near the church. The old rectory was sold within a very short time and it was necessary for Father Joseph Sullivan, then Pastor of St. Luke's Parish, to establish a temporary residence in a house owned by Marcel LeClair on Route 104 while the new rectory was being built. Father Sullivan moved into the new rectory on May 28, 1996 and Mst Rev. Kenneth A. Angell, bishop of Burlington blessed the newly constructed rectory on June 8, 1996.