Eulogy Delivery by Nancy DiFiore Quinn

State First Vice President, New York Grand Lodge, Order Sons of Italy in America

March 5, 2006 at St. Joachim, Beacon, New York

On March 3, 2006 a huge link in our chain has been broken – a link that cannot be fixed or replaced.  Our beloved State and National Chaplain Fr. Donald B. Licata as we knew him … is no more.

A genuine “Son of Italy,” Fr. Donald B. Licata was born on September 27, 1934 and raised in Little Italy section of New York.  He was ordained into the priesthood on June 5, 1959 and served in many community parishes throughout New York State.  He held a B.A. and M.A. degree from the Archdiocese of New York and a M.E. Degree from Fordham University.

Proudly serving in the Army Reserve for 27 years from 1961-1988, Father retired from the Army in 1989 with rank of Colonel.  Among his military awards are: Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), Army Commendation, National Defense with Cluster, New York State Military Commendation Medal, Meritorious Award for Humanitarian Services (2 awards), the Honorable Order of St. Barbara (Artillery Chaplain) and the Twenty Year Long and Faithful Service Medal from the New York Army National Guard.

In 1984, the Italian-American Committee for Migration (ACIM) awarded Father Licata the Humanitarian Award recognizing all he has done for the Italian American community.  Being a civic-minded person, Fr. Licata has also been recognized by many State Senators, Assemblymen and Supervisors from various counties all over the state of New York.

In 1979, an OSIA Lodge was named after him in the Carmel-Kent area: "Father Donald B. Licata Lodge #2435." It was the only OSIA Lodge named after a living priest.  In 1989, Father was the Founder of a new Lodge in Beacon, New York named the "St. Francis of Assisi Lodge #2629.”  Fr. Licata was very earnest about his service to the New York Grand Lodge, Order Sons of Italy in America.

Fr. Donald B. Licata spent 25 years of dedicated service in the New York State Department of Corrections.  He began his spiritual guidance at Greenhaven Prison and recently had completed his prison service after ten years at Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill, New York.  Father’s greatest achievement was the building of the Inter-denominational Chapel and the Chapel of St. Camillus at Downstate Correctional Facility.  As he stated many times in the past, this was accomplished "Through the prayers and great generosity of the Brother and Sister members of the Order Sons of Italy in America.”

For more than two decades Father Licata was the adopted spiritual “father” to all in the New York Grand Lodge, Order Sons of Italy in America.  Similarly on a national level since 1991, Father Licata has listened to and guided the Brothers and Sisters of OSIA throughout the country with a compassion and empathy for all, regardless of age, social background, financial standing or gender.  He served so well as the New York State OSIA Chaplain and the National OSIA Chaplain.  What will we do without our dear Fr. Licata?  He has been a "Father Confessor” living up to the ideals of that sainted and priestly confessor, St. John Vianney. 

The Order Sons of Italy in America is filled with great admiration for this priest and servant of the Lord and now has the responsibility as Brothers and Sisters of OSIA to stand shoulder to shoulder for comfort.  We no longer have that special religious person in our lives … we no longer have “our priest.”  Fr Licata has left “God’s waiting room.”  He is no longer in pain and for that we are grateful.  We look to the day when we will see him again – a young and handsome man – a person who loved life and loved to help those who really needed help. 

Fr. Licata did not live a life of no purpose.  He had a very important purpose and besides touching all our lives … he touched the lives of so many imprisoned souls and very well may have lead them to heaven.

Fr. Licata was a special priest.  As he grew older he respected death – but still feared it.  Many couldn’t understand why a priest could be so fearful of death when he lived such a religious life.  The answer is quite simple … Fr. Licata was human.  He was more human than most.  He didn’t work out of a rectory.  He chose a life of burden.  He lived with people who had troubled lives – people who needed guidance – and Father was the kind of person who could deliver inspiration to everyone he met.  He had a “star like” quality … but, then so do many Italian men.  He lived his outside life on a stage but his inside life was quite often a lonely one.

What will we miss most about dear Fr. Don … probably his booming and always reassuring voice.  Who will we speak to when we need counsel?  Who will we speak with when we need to be uplifted?  Who will we speak with when we need to confess our sins and have relied only on our dear Fr. Don to hear our confessions?   Father didn’t simply “say” mass for us and “deliver” the homily … he put all his heart and soul into every word that came out of his mouth and every movement that he made in his holy garments.  When attending one of Father's services you could feel God’s very presence.

We are better people for having known Father Licata.  We were his “family” and during his last days he prayed to make sure we all get to heaven and he knew that we were all praying for him.  We thank in a special way OSIA Sister Rosemarie Romanelli for being by Father's side till the very end … on behalf of all the Brothers and Sisters of the OSIA.

We send our sincere condolences to Mizzi Gippner and the entire Licata family. 

I will miss him … I will miss “my” priest.  Fr. Licata was everybody’s priest.  What will we do without him?

The bible says: “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”   And we will be mourning for a long time to come.

May God Bless the soul of our beloved Fr. Donald B. Licata