Reverend Sylvan P. Capitani passed into the arms of Jesus at Misericordia Nursing Facility in York on Sunday, March 23.
Sylvan Peter Capitani was born on November 17, 1937, to the late Francesco “Frank” and Anna Capitani in Hershey.
He attended St. Joan of Arc Elementary School in Hershey and then graduated from Lebanon Catholic High School in 1955. He attended seminary at St. Charles College in Catonsville, Md., and received his BA from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. Father Capitani was ordained on May 16, 1964, by Bishop Joseph Daley. Subsequently, he received an MA in Religious Education from LaSalle College in Philadelphia and his Doctorate in Pastoral Ministry from St. Mary’s University in Baltimore.
Father Capitani began his ministry at Corpus Christi Parish in Chambersburg. While at Corpus Christi, he was also the Campus Minister to Wilson College. Later, he became Chaplain and Instructor of Religion at Lebanon Catholic High School, his alma mater. He also was appointed Campus Minister to Lebanon Valley College. He was transferred to St. Joseph Parish in Mechanicsburg as Parochial Vicar and later became Pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in New Freedom. Father Capitani was Pastor at St. John’s for nearly 35 years. During his time there, Father Capitani directed the building of the Main Church, the expansion of the Parish Center to include accommodation for a new school, and the Outreach Building which housed a food and clothing bank, a new rectory, and the remodeling of the Historic Church. He also started a Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. John’s, which still exists today. St. John the Baptist Catholic School opened in 2010 and is still thriving.
Father Capitani retired in 2013 but continued to help hear Confessions and celebrate Mass at St. John’s and at Sacred Heart Parish in Spring Grove, while also assisting at a number of other churches in the area. He played a small but important part in the establishment of H.O.P.E., the wonderful organization that does so much good for cancer patients in the community and surrounding area.
Father Capitani loved to read the lives of the saints and preached about them often, especially St. Catherine of Siena. He recently had a book published on Stories of St. Catherine of Siena for children.
Christmas was a special time for Father Capitani. He designed and painted his own Christmas cards (with help) and had them reproduced to send out to his family and friends. Even in his retirement, he gave out boxes of Hershey’s Chocolate to all who came to visit.
Father Capitani was an avid sports fan, and his favorite teams were the St. Louis Cardinals and Notre Dame. Along with his good friend Father Joseph Carolin (since deceased), Father Capitani said Mass for the Cardinals a number of times at Busch Stadium in St. Louis in his retirement.
Father Capitani was always proud of his Italian heritage and several times visited his parents’ ancestral home in Pitigliano, Italy, two hours north of Rome. He loved all things Italian, especially Italian food.
In the Ordination Rite of the Church, the priest is exhorted to be a Loving Father, a Gentle Shepherd, and a Wise Teacher. In his ministry, Father Capitani tried to fulfill all those qualities. His was a life well-lived and a priesthood well-shared.
A Transferal prayer service will be held Sunday, March 30, beginning at 5 p.m. with Father Bob Yohe presiding. A public viewing will follow the prayer service and will conclude at 8 p.m.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12 noon on Monday, March 31, with Bishop Timothy Senior presiding.
Both services will be at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 315 N. Constitution Ave., New Freedom, PA, 17361. Both services will also be livestreamed via links at www.sjbnf.org.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Father Capitani Scholarship Fund, at the church address.
Online condolences may be made at www.geiple.com
