A Mass of Christian burial for Father Ralph Guarracino, 89, chaplain at St. John’s Cemetery, Middle Village, and Mount St. Mary’s Cemetery, Flushing, was celebrated June 6 at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Ozone Park. He died June 2 in the sacristy chapel at St. John’s Cemetery.

Retired Auxiliary Bishop Guy Sansaricq was the main celebrant of the funeral Mass. Special concelebrants included Father Edward Cassar and Msgr. Michael Reid, who preached the homily.

Born in Brooklyn, Father Guarracino attended St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights; and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington. He was ordained by Bishop Thomas E. Molloy on May 29, 1954 at St. James Pro-Cathedral, Downtown Brooklyn.

He served as an assistant at St. Jude, Mastic Beach, 1954; St. Patrick, Glen Cove, 1954-55; Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, South Ozone Park, 1955-67, and then was named chaplain at Brooklyn Hospital, Fort Greene, 1967-79.

In 1980, he was appointed administrator of St. Frances de Chantal, Borough Park.

In 1985, he began a more than 30-years relationship as a cemetery chaplain when he was assigned to St. John’s. In 2007, he also took over at Mount St. Mary’s.

Msgr. Reid, V.E., who served as executive director of Catholic Cemeteries and now as spiritual moderator, recalled that he knew Father Guarracino “personally for 43 years. I knew him before I was a seminarian, through a priest friend, Father Dennis Farrell.

“He was very friendly, very welcoming, and always had an easy smile, and hearty laugh.

“He always listened to people.   He listened and he proved that he listened because he followed through.”

Msgr. Reid also recalled that Father Guarracino “prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament every day before he said Mass.”

“Father Ralph had the most important job at the cemetery because he prayed for us and he always held out the hope of the resurrection and the sharing of the eternal life.

“He died in the sacristy, getting ready for Mass. He never stopped working as a priest. He never retired.

“He loved to cook and he loved to be with family, whether it be with his extended family of nieces and nephews, or what he would call his cemetery family. He helped here on St. Patrick’s Day to make the corned beef. On Friday, it was pasta day and he would help make the gravy. He would also bring in Italian pastries.

“He worked in the cemetery for 35 years and he was beloved. He was like everyone’s grandfather.”

Burial was in St. John’s Cemetery in the Resurrection Community Mausoleum.