Search
-
October 5, 2023BY BILL DOYLE | CFP CORRESPONDENT
WORCESTER - Father James A. Houston served as a priest for 55 years, the final 31 as pastor at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Northborough.
“I did love it,” he said. “I had a really great job.”
Asked what he loved about being a priest, he replied, “Everything.”
He didn’t retire until July 1, 2021, when he was nearly 80 years old, well past the usual retirement age of 75, when fatigue became a factor.
To celebrate his 82nd birthday on Sept. 25, he went to dinner at Oli’s Italian Eatery in West Boylston with two secretaries from St. Rose of Lima.
“We naturally talked about church because that’s what church people do,” he said.
In retirement, he fills in for other priests in the Worcester diocese, presiding over Masses, funerals and baptisms. Because he’s not their pastor and doesn’t know them, he sits down with families to learn as much as he can about the deceased before officiating funerals, and he’s traveled as far as St. Aloysius Parish in Gilbertville to say Mass.
Father Houston is one of the 46 retired priests in the diocese and for the 10th year “Celebrate Priesthood! – Taste of the Diocese” will raise money for their care. Parishes and restaurants donate food for tasting. This year’s event will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Saint Paul Diocesan Jr./Sr. High School gymnasium. To purchase tickets at $100 each or to make a donation, visit worcesterdiocese.org/celebrate-priesthood, call 508-929-4366 or mail to Celebrate Priesthood, 49 Elm St., Worcester, MA 01609.
Father Houston said he’s seen people at the celebration that he met when he first came to Worcester. “And they’re still here, thanking God for their priests and making donations,” he said.
Father Houston regularly attended Celebrate Priesthood! galas while he was pastor at St. Rose of Lima and he plans to return this year. All priests are invited to attend at no charge.
“I want to thank the people who put this on, for their time, their talent and their contributions,” he said. “It seems to be growing each year, thank God, because we want them to see what priesthood is all about. Priesthood is all about more than you can imagine, as you listen to some of these men, young and old, and their love of ministry and stepping into peoples’ lives and offering their own life.”
“What a great thing to be able to see both sides of it,” said Michael P. Gillespie, director of the Office of Stewardship and Development that plans the annual gala. “He’s always been very supportive and always very affirming of the retired priests and here he is now retired.”
Father Houston is one of five priests who live at the St. Paul Cathedral rectory, but he’s the only one who is retired. He moved there after spending the first year of his retirement at St. Joseph Church in Worcester.
Father Houston said he doesn’t have a lot of money left over after paying his bills.
“It’s a huge struggle,” he said.
He remembers that his original salary in 1968 as an associate pastor in the diocese was $250 a month.
“Even my pastor at that time called it, ‘My monthly insult,’” he said.
Of course, men become priests because they hear the call of God and to serve the people, not to become wealthy. Father Houston has no regrets, but said he and other retired priests need financial help.
Grew up in New Jersey
Father Houston grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and attended Boston College for a year. His roommate, Bob Feen, was from Worcester and Father Houston visited the city often. Father Houston transferred from Boston College to Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut, and he met Bishop Bernard Flanagan, then the Bishop of Norwich, Connecticut. Bishop Flanagan later became Bishop of Worcester and he arranged for Father Houston to serve in the diocese after he was one of 32 priests ordained in 1968 in Newark.
Prior to becoming pastor at St. Rose of Lima, he served as an associate pastor at several parishes in the diocese and also served as chaplain and later as full-time campus minister at Fitchburg State College. In addition, he volunteered as chaplain for 29 years at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay.
“I love the sea,” he said.
Father Houston feels fortunate that Bishop McManus allowed him to remain as pastor at St. Rose of Lima for so long. He strongly believed in allowing parishioners to help run the parish.
“It’s their parish,” he said.
Bishop McManus attended the celebration of Father Houston’s 50th anniversary as a priest.
“It was standing room only,” Bishop McManus said. “The people really were very thankful for his ministry.”
Bishop McManus appreciated that Father Houston grew close to his parishioners and employed a full-time salaried youth minister.
“He made the people feel very much a part of the parish,” Bishop McManus said. “After all those years, he was baptizing children of people who grew up in the parish.”
In 1999, Father Houston oversaw a $2.5 million extensive remodeling of the church. For a year during the renovations, he said Masses at Algonquin Regional High School.
“That was great,” he said. “I baptized a lot of kids there and they called themselves, ‘the St. Algonquin class.’”
In 2019, Father Houston and Father Timothy M. Brewer, pastor at St. Mary Parish in Holden, met Pope Francis during his Wednesday audience on the top steps of St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. They shook his hand and exchanged a few words as Pope Francis made his way through a long line of people.
“It was beautiful,” he said. “It was a spiritual moment of peace with the leader of the Catholic Church asking you to pray for him.”
