Father James J.M. Reynolds, a retired priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn, died Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Father Reynolds was born on Feb. 15, 1956 in New York, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 30, 1984.
Father Reynolds served the Diocese of Brooklyn as Parochial Vicar of the parishes of Saint Helen (Howard Beach), Saint Patrick (Brooklyn), Saint Matthias (Ridgewood), Holy Child Jesus (Richmond Hill), Saint Brendan (Brooklyn), Our Lady of Mercy (Forest Hills), and Saint Thomas Aquinas (Flatlands). He was also in residence at Bishop Mugavero Residence (Douglaston), Saint Virgilius (Broad Channel), and Our Lady of the Snows (Floral Park).
Father Reynolds is fondly remembered by Father Daniel O. Kingsley, who remembers him as a “friend, mentor and confessor,” and wrote a tribute that reads, in part:
“Serious about the faith, he was never too serious about himself. I was a seminarian when I first met him in retirement at the Immaculate Conception Center. Poor health had kept him out of parish ministry for many, many years. Yet, he never forgot that his vocation was to bring others to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ in His Word and Sacrament. I remember many an evening, over flavored seltzer water, that he would counsel me in my own vocation, encouraging me when I was plagued by serious self-doubt. Even after seminary, well into my own priesthood we kept in touch.
“Whenever I was in the Immaculate Conception Center on business, my spirit would compel me to knock on his door and see how he was doing. It was always in the back of my mind that this visit could be the last before I get that fateful phone call. Today, I received that call. I felt sadness and grief, but those gave way to joy. Father Reynolds, Jim, is no longer suffering, gazing upon — I hope with bravery — the face of God he so diligently and faithfully served. ‘Well done good and faithful servant, you have fought the good fight, you have run the race, you kept the faith.”
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Father James J.M. Reynolds on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, at Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston, N.Y.
The principal celebrant was Bishop Robert Brennan. Official concelebrants were Bishop James Massa, Bishop Raymond Chappetto, and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Neil Tiedemann.
The homilist was Father Christopher Heller. Special concelebrants were Msgr. Sean Ogle, Msgr. Kevin Noone, Msgr. Raymond Roden, and Father Daniel O. Kingsley.
Interment took place after the Mass at Saint Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, NY.
Sister Grace Bletsch, OP (Sister Mary Annine, OP) quietly slipped into the arms of God on Dec. 16, 2023. Grace was 97 years old and had served as a Sister of St. Dominic of Amityville for 78 years. She was a member of the White Gladiola set.
Grace was born in Elmhurst, Queens, and baptized in St. Adalbert Church. Even in elementary school, she was very involved in her parish, Resurrection-Ascension, where she met and loved the Sisters of Charity and also the Trinitarian Sisters. She became head of her sodality and a leader of the discussion groups at the weekly confraternity dances. Father Dunnigan encouraged “his girls” to apply to Dominican Commercial High School, and it was there that she met the Dominican Sisters.
While still in high school, Grace worked as a secretary for a VIP lawyer for three years. After graduation, she worked for a year in an insurance company.
She entered the Amityville Dominicans on Feb. 2, 1945, and thus became a postulant whereby she was prepared with 44 other postulants for religious life. On Aug. 6, 1945, she received the beautiful white habit of St. Dominic. It was during this time that the novices began their preparation for teacher training which continued for the next few years.
Sister Grace taught nearly every grade in various schools. In 1945, she began her teaching career at St. Barbara’s in Brooklyn.
While there, she was asked to work as the secretary for Msgr. Steinmueller, a prolific writer and author of many books.
After that she moved on to Incarnation Parish, Queens. Next she taught in St. Joseph, in Kings Park, New York. Then, she was stationed in Queen of the Most Holy Rosary in Roosevelt and later in St. Hugh of Lincoln in Huntington Station. After that, she was assigned to teach at St. Rose of Lima, Massapequa.
In 1984, she opted to teach in the new St. Agnes, later named Kellenberg High School. In 1990, Sister Grace moved to Molloy University in Rockville Centre.
The wake and funeral for Sister Grace were held in St. Albert Chapel in Amityville on Wednesday, Dec. 20. A Mass of Christian Burial was followed by interment in St. Dominic Cemetery on the Motherhouse grounds.