Msgr. Edward LavelleWhen he was ordained in 1963, Msgr. Edward Lavelle wanted nothing more than to serve in parish life. As a high school student, he was so inspired by the model and influence of a priest at St. Ignatius Parish in Centralia, Father Woody Jones, that by the time he finished formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, he was eager to follow in those footsteps.
“I had such a strong desire to become a parish priest. I wanted nothing more,” said Msgr. Lavelle. “I’ve been ordained now for 61 years and do you know how many years I served as a parish priest? Four.”
That was during his first assignment at St. Rose of Lima Parish in York from 1964-1968. Afterwards, he spent a decade in education ministry at Lancaster Catholic High School, followed by 34 full-time years in the Diocesan Tribunal, working with people seeking annulments, which he described as a “healing ministry” of the Church.
“While I never dreamed that high school ministry and working in the Diocesan Offices would be my experience, I know it was the grace of the Lord working in me, putting me where I needed to be,” he said.
His ministry in the Diocese has cultivated a thread of rootedness and connections still cherished by the countless people he has served, even decades ago. Msgr. Lavelle estimates that he celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage for more than 180 graduates of Lancaster Catholic and interviewed more than 10,000 individuals seeking the assistance and counsel of the Tribunal.
“I’ve shared a lot of love and friendship with people. I worked hard in my ministries, and it was the grace of the Lord working in me,” Msgr. Lavelle said in a recent interview at the Priests’ Retirement Residence in Harrisburg.
In February, he was one of six Diocesan priests who were named Chaplains to His Holiness with the title of Monsignor. From the Italian monsignore, which means “my lord,” it’s a title of honor in the Catholic Church and is bestowed upon priests who have served in an exemplary way. In addition to Msgr. Lavelle, those given the title earlier this year are Msgr. Peter Hahn, Msgr. Francis Karwacki, Msgr. Lawrence McNeil, Msgr. Edward Quinlan, and the late Msgr. Daniel Mitzel, who entered into eternal rest on March 30.
Msgr. Lavelle laughed his boisterous laugh when Bishop Timothy Senior told him of his honorary title.
“I said, ‘You have got to be kidding me!’ It’s been some time since anyone has been named a Monsignor in our Diocese, going back to 2009. It was a total, total surprise for me,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable honor for a boy born and raised in Centralia.”
Though his hometown has been a near ghost-town for decades since a 1962 underground mine fire brought it to ruin just a year before his ordination, Msgr. Lavelle continues to tend his roots there, with clear and beloved memories of St. Ignatius Parish and School and St. Joseph High School in nearby Ashland.
“It was a small, blue-collar town where everyone knew you. Everyone also had their own thoughts about you,” he said. “My parish priest, Father Jones, was doing hospital rounds not long after I graduated and was about to enter seminary. An elderly lady he was visiting said, ‘I hear one of our senior boys is going to seminary – I bet it’s that such-and-such kid; he’s a wonderful young man.’ And Father Jones said, ‘No, it’s the Lavelle boy from Centralia.’ And boy, was she disappointed!” he laughed.
If she was indeed disappointed, she’d likely change her opinion in retrospect. Msgr. Lavelle’s influence on countless individuals and families has amassed more than just the number of weddings he’s celebrated or the number of people he’s counseled. Words he said and encounters he had decades ago remain significant for people today.
For instance, when his assignment at Lancaster Catholic – where he had served as teacher, chaplain and administrator over the course of a decade – came to an end in 1979, he was urged on his final day to share some words with the students.
To this day, they remember his parting message.
“I was at a recent event and a faculty member who is now retired asked me if I remembered what I said on my last day at Lancaster Catholic. I told him, ‘No, I don’t; it was 46 years ago.’ And he said, ‘Well I remember, Father. You said ‘I love you.’ And I know the students knew it was true.’”
“That school is the love of my life,” Msgr. Lavelle said, his voice thick with emotion. “I just can’t believe how much I love Lancaster Catholic High School. And they’ve never run out of ways to accept and welcome me. I’m still grateful to go there whenever I like, and I enjoy it so.”
Following his time at Lancaster Catholic, Msgr. Lavelle spent some 45 years working in the Diocesan Tribunal, first in full-time work and then as a volunteer. While he officially retired from that ministry in 2013, his presence, attentiveness and good nature continued there as a volunteer up until a few weeks ago.
“It’s a new chapter for me,” he said of his full retirement. “I miss the work I was doing in the Tribunal and I miss the people I was working with. So this is a new streak for me, and I’m getting used to what it’s going to be like. But I’m doing a lot of reading, I’m still involved at Lancaster Catholic when I’m able, and of course I have my Boston Red Sox. I’m getting used to this transition and I’ll be OK, so long as the Red Sox are winning. If there’s anything I can’t get used to, it’s losing!”
(Solemn Vespers to mark the occasion of the six priests who have been named a Chaplain to His Holiness will be held at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg on Sunday, May 18 at 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
