Fr. Mario Muccitelli, S.D.V. - Vocationist Fathers

Fr. Mario Muccitelli, S.D.V.

St. Giorgio a Liri (Frosinone- Italy) Welcomed Fr. Mario Muccitelli into this world on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16, 1923. From these loving parents he learned the basic principles and practice of the faith, as well as the first elements of knowledge. After his primary education, he joined the Vocationist Fathers in Pianura, where he had the privilege of knowing and working with the Venerable Fr. Justin Russolillo, founder of the Vocationist Fathers and Vocationist Sisters.

On November 12, 1944, Fr. Mario consecrated himself to God by pronouncing his first vows in the hands of Fr. Justin. On March 28, 1948, he was ordained priest.

Fr. Mario was the first vocation from St. Giorgio a Liri to join the Vocationist Fathers; soon after the ordination he was sent to Rome to establish there the first Vocationist Residence.

On November 11, 1950 he joined the Vocationist mission in Brazil with a group of Vocationist students of theology. He spent 6 years there and in 1957, when the Vocationist mission in Brazil was already well established, he moved to the United States and worked at Regina Pacis in Brooklyn, N.Y.

While he was in Brooklyn Fr. Mario, with the Superior General, Fr. John Galasso, contacted several Bishops and asked them if they had an assignment for the Vocationist Fathers in their Diocese. He received only big promises for the future. Finally Fr.Mario contacted the late Archbishop Boland in Newark, who graciously opened the doors to the Vocationist Fathers. They were assigned to Minister to the Spanish Speaking of the city of Newark, NJ. On August 9, 1962 Fr. Mario, and the late Fr. Thomas Aldinofi with the help of Archbishop Boland and the support of many friends, founded the first Vocationist house at 196 Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey.

While providing spiritual assistance to the Spanish speaking people in various parishes of Newark, Fr. Mario remodeled the old, run down Lyceum at the corner of Broad Street and Forth Avenue, which later became known as Our Lady of Perpetual Help Center. This center in 1967 was made a Parish under the same name to meet the religious needs of the Spanish speaking people in Newark.

As Newark's ethnic make up kept changing, Our Lady of Perpetual Help could not accommodate the growing number of Spanish speaking parishioners, and St. Michael's Church, just one block away agonizing on account of the dwindling congregation. In 1977, to solve both these problems, Archbishop Gerety merged the two parishes and entrusted them to Fr. Mario and the Vocationist Fathers.

As a result of this new merger, Our Lady of Perpetual was converted into a larger Nursery for 200 children ages 2 1/2 to 5 and entrusted to the tender care of the Vocationist Sisters who had joined the mission of the Vocationist Fathers in 1967 during the infamous riots that occurred in Newark, N.J. St. Michael became again a booming vigorous Parish and its school became one of the largest and most efficient Catholic School in the Sate.

While pastor of St. Michael, Fr. Mario paid off the remaining school mortgage, converted the Cenacle Convent into a Rectory, demolished the old rectory, created St. Jude's Garden and refurbished St. Michael's school to provide better educational programs for the children. The establishment of an emergency food distribution to the poor and the creation of the Archangel Clinic for the needy were clear signs of Fr. Mario's dedication to the less fortunate.

In 1967 Fr. Mario established an anti- poverty program on behalf of the Spanish speaking population to help them to find a job, a doctor, a lawyer or an interpreter. Fr. Mario called this program FOCUS (Field Orientation Center for Underprivileged Spanish). FOCUS is still functioning today, supported by the State of New Jersey and staffed by 27 workers.

Fr. Mario continued to promote the growth and expansion of the Vocationist Communities. In 1977 the Vocationist Communities in the USA were made a "Delegation" and Fr. Mario was appointed the first Delegate of the Superior General. Fr. Mario and the Vocationist Fathers soon started their Vocation apostolate and realized the need for a Vocationary. To obviate the financial needs with the help of many friends and benefactors, Fr. Mario established the Shepherds of Youth (S.O.Y.), a Charitable Trust that would provide for the implementation of the ideals of the Vocationist Fathers and at the same time help some parents to pay their children's school tuition.

It took years of planning, fund raising, socials, and all the dedication of good people, to bring to completion two religious houses in Florham Park, N. J.On May 9, 1989 the Most Reverend Frank Rodimer, Bishop of Paterson presided the solemn blessing of these religious structures: one for the Vocationist Fathers and one for the Vocationist Sisters.

In Florham Park for the last nine years Fr. Mario has continued his activities on behalf of vocations by helping candidates to the priesthood and religious life.To this end he had been endeavoring to secure, for the future, the financial stability of his religious congregation and the assistance to the young men who are seen their way by the Lord for orientation and guidance.