by Father Dominick F. Cutrone
IN OUR FAMILY, we never had any priests or nuns. As a boy, my brother and I were altar boys in Middletown, N.Y., but we never became close friends to any priests because when I was 11, my family moved back to Brooklyn.
Our parents were very devout Catholics, especially my mom. She was very devoted to the Blessed Mother and even wanted to be a nun, but my grandfather refused her request. As a wedding gift, she asked for a 5-foot statue of Our Lady of Grace, which she willed to our parish. This statue now stands in Joe Veltri Hall in the lower church.
Dressed As Angels
The rosary was always a part of our lives, especially during the month of May. Everyday, my mom and dad said the rosary with special readings and prayers honoring Mary. On the last day of May, mom had the crowning of Mary by small children dressed as angels.
It was within this atmosphere of family life that I thought of becoming a priest. When I mentioned the idea, my parents sacrificed and sent me to a Catholic high school: Holy Trinity in Williamsburg. Then I went to St. John’s College, located at that time on Louis and Willoughby avenues. In 1951, I applied for the major seminary in Huntington. We had large classes in those days.
When I first started, we had 45 students; 36 were ordained with me in 1955. Today, only four of us are alive. I thank God that at almost 88 years old, I am still able to serve the people of Our Lady of Grace parish.
I have always enjoyed my priesthood, especially preaching to the people about Jesus and His life. Also, I enjoy talking to the children. They are so innocent and absorb every word.
Visiting the sick in hospitals has been on the priority list of my work. A Jewish woman once left a car to the parish with the understanding that we would use it to visit the sick at home or in hospitals. For many years, I did this three times a week with Sister Jane Talbot, R.S.M., our former pastoral minister who is now deceased.
A Balanced Life
“All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.” So I balance out my priesthood with a day off every Monday to play golf, go skiing, play gin rummy and go out to dinner with my priest friends.
My philosophy is to “work hard, pray often and be yourself.” Most importantly, we have to learn how to laugh, especially at our own shortcomings.
Jesus told us: “The harvest is great but the laborers are few.”
We need more priests. We need you. I’ve been a priest for 62 years and have enjoyed every day.
I had the pleasure of serving as DRE when Fr. Cutrone was the pastor at Our Lady of Grace. He always shared how much he loved being a priest. He faithfully was part of our RCIA team every Thursday night and no matter what was being taught, Fr. Cutrone shared his joy of being a priest. Many RCIA participants were not Christian and they loved getting to know their Pastor. Fr. Cutrone loves being Catholic as well. He was open minded to many ideas to engage the children of the Parish Religious Education Program and wasn’t shy to make suggestions and be part of the work force needed to try out different approaches. He additionally was part of our Lenten RCIA Day of Prayer every year for those who would celebrate the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. Fr. Cutrone was definitely himself! This attracted many to Our Lady of Grace and to the Catholic Faith! He was very visible in every activity and ministry. He visited the parish baseball field to chat with the volunteers who ran the Sports Program, stopped down to say hello to the scouts, helped set up with me for a parent sacrament meeting lugging coffee pots around, set up tables when Religious Ed was sponsoring a Friendship Sunday. Fr. Cutrone made sure he spent time with everyone as he is a true, inspirational Pastor! I will never forget the time I spent at Our Lady of Grace with Fr. Cutrone. He made me laugh, he always considered my ideas, even if they were “a little out there,” and is truly one of our great priests in the Diocese of Brooklyn! Thank you Fr. Cutrone for all the years of service to everyone you met, especially me!