http://www.cny.org/archive/ob/ob052010.htm
Msgr. Ralph V. Curcio …
… who served as pastor and parochial vicar of Our Lady of Mercy parish in Port Chester, died May 9 at White Plains Hospital. He was 77.
Archbishop Dolan offered the Funeral Mass May 14 at Our Lady of Mercy Church. Msgr. John B. Sullivan, a former pastor of St. Mary’s in the Bronx, was the homilist.
Msgr. Curcio was pastor of Our Lady of Mercy from 1996 to 2007, and he was parochial vicar there from 1989 to 1996. He also served for many years as an Army chaplain. Msgr. Curcio was pastor of Our Lady of Mercy during its 150th anniversary celebration in 2004. Along with the festivities, the church was freshly painted and its rose window, bell tower and roof were repaired. At the parish, Msgr. Curcio “was busy all the time,” said Msgr. Sullivan, a seminary classmate. “Any time I saw him, he was always going someplace. He was on a mission all the time.” Recalling their seminary days, he told CNY that Msgr. Curcio was always on time, and at the seminary he had the job of “regulator,” with the duty of ringing bells for the seminarians to wake up, pray, start classes and begin meals. “He just loved being a priest,” Msgr. Sullivan said. “He was particularly fond of helping the sick. He did a lot of hospital work,” which fit Msgr. Curcio’s unassuming and quiet personality. “He just went about doing his work,” Msgr. Sullivan said.
Msgr. Curcio served as parochial vicar of Infant Savior in Pine Bush, 1968-1971 and 1967-1968; Our Lady of Grace in the Bronx, 1968; and St. Ann’s in Yonkers, 1961-1964. He briefly served as chaplain at St. Francis Hospital in Port Jervis in 1967. He served as a chaplain at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan and as parochial vicar at St. Rose of Lima in Manhattan, from 1971 until 1989. He was a U.S. Army chaplain from 1964 until 1967, during which he served for a year in Vietnam. He was awarded the Air Medal for flying under combat conditions. In 1987 he was promoted to colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He retired as a full colonel in 1993. After leaving Our Lady of Mercy parish in 2007, he served for two years as senior priest chaplain at White Plains Hospital, with residence at St. Bernard’s, White Plains.
Born in the Bronx, he attended Cathedral College in Manhattan before entering St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie. He was ordained in 1961 and named a monsignor in 2006. He held a master’s degree in counseling from Manhattan College. He is survived by his sisters, Theresa Curcio and Ida Celentano. Burial was in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Valhalla.
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Curcio, Msgr. Ralph V. [MC???? RIP]
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Dear John,
I believe that Msgr is a member of the Class of 1976.
May He Rest In Peace,
Mike
McEneney, Mike (MC1953)
[JR: Thanks, Mike. Much appreciated.]
Curcio, Msgr. Ralph V. [MC1976 RIP]
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