Father James J. Caldarella Jr., 80, retired diocesan priest

Father James J. Caldarella Jr., 80, of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, formerly of Worcester, died Thursday, Jan. 25. Father Caldarella was born in Hartford, Connecticut on July 27, 1943, the son of James J. Caldarella Sr. and Rita M. Murphy Caldarella. 
He graduated from Talcott Jr./Sr. High School, West Hartford, Connecticut, in 1958 and from LaSalette Minor Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, in June of 1961. In 1963 he received his associate degree from LaSalette College in Altamont, New York. In 1964 he took simple vows after attending LaSalette novitiate in Bloomfield, Connecticut. In 1966 he received a bachelor's degree from LaSalette Major Seminary in Ipswich. He completed his studies for the priesthood at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In 1968, he joined the Diocese of Wheeling, West Virginia, and was ordained a deacon in March 1969.   
In 1969, he was assigned as a deacon at St. Anthony Church, Follansbee, West Virginia, while teaching religion at Madonna High School in Weirton, West Virginia. In 1970 he was assigned as a deacon to St. Thomas Church in Thomas and its mission churches of St. Veronica, Davis and Our Lady of Mercy, Parsons, all in West Virginia. That same year he was assigned to Immaculate Conception Church in Clarksburg, West Virginia. 
In 1971 he came to the Diocese of Worcester serving as a deacon first at Notre Dame Parish, Southbridge, and then at St. Paul Cathedral. On Oct. 23, 1971, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan.    Following ordination, he was assigned as associate pastor to Blessed Sacrament Parish, Worcester. In 1973 he was named a co-pastor of Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish, Milford. During this time, he received a master’s degree in education from Boston College. In 1978 he was appointed associate pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Worcester.   
In August 1983 he began studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and resided at the Oratory of St. Philip Neri assisting the Oratorian Fathers with campus ministry at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. In 1984, he received a master's degree in leadership in formative spirituality from Duquesne studying under Father Adrian van Kaam. He stayed and received a certificate in leadership in spiritual direction the following year.
  After a temporary assignment at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Worcester, he was named associate pastor of Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Worcester, in 1985. On April 10, 1987, Father Caldarella was appointed pastor of Prince of Peace Parish, Princeton, where he served for 28 years. During that time, he conducted retreat weekends and weeklong directed retreats at St. Joseph by the Sea Retreat House in New Jersey while continuing to offer spiritual direction in his own diocese.   
On July 1, 2014, he was appointed Minister to Priests, while remaining pastor. On July 1, 2015, he was appointed full time diocesan Minister to Priests with residence at St. Stephen Parish and then Our Lady of Loreto Parish both in Worcester. He retired on July 1, 2018, and moved to Old Saybrook. He continued to serve on the Diocesan Review Committee. Upon retirement he was granted faculties for the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, where he continued to assist various parishes in the diocese.   
Father Caldarella leaves behind his siblings Cal (Marianne), Ann (Tom), and Mark (Kate), his nieces and nephews David (Nora), Laurie, Kristen, and David, and his grand-nephews Bryan, Aidan, Matthew, Leo, James, Arturo, and Sean.   
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, Feb. 2, at 11 a.m. in St. John Church, 161 Main St., Old Saybrook. Prior to Mass, there will be a calling hour from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Father Caldarella's burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Maryknoll, a Catholic non-profit mission, or to a charity of choice. Online condolences may be made at www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com.