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March 31, 2022Father Arthur Gildea, of the community at the St. Alphonsus Villa, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, died March 29, 2022, age 80 and one month.
He was born on February 28, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Arthur and Marie T. (Jewell) Gildea. Fr. Gildea was baptized March 23, 1942, at the Redemptorists’ Our Lady of Perpetual Help “Mission Church,”, Boston, and was later confirmed at St. Teresa in Boston on May 1, 1954.
He entered St. Mary’s College Minor Seminary, North East, PA, following in the steps of his uncles, Fathers Hugh and Thomas Gildea, C.Ss.R., and his cousin, Father Charles Gildea, C.Ss.R. He matriculated to St. Mary’s College, Ilchester, Maryland, where he professed vows on August 2, 1962, and professed final vows on September 2, 1965.
He began his philosophy studies at Mt. St. Alphonsus, Esopus, New York from 1962 to 1963 and finished his baccalaureate degree at St. Alphonsus College in Suffield, Connecticut from 1963 to 1964. He completed his theological studies at Mt. St. Alphonsus (M.Div. and M.R.E.) from 1964 to 1968, where he was ordained on June 18, 1967. He completed his tirocinium at St. Mary’s, Annapolis from 1968 to 1969.
Father Gildea was first missioned to Pedro Juan Caballero from 1969 to 1970, and Bella Vista, Paraguay from 1970 to 1976. He returned to the United States and was the financial officer overseeing the rebuilding of St. Mary’s Seminary after a serious fire in 1977 and was there until 1981. He held a variety of roles there including vicar, consultor and minister.
He also served at Our Lady of Lourdes starting in 1981 until 1987 in Seaford, DE where he worked in Migrant and Rural Ministry. He then transferred to St. Wenceslaus, Baltimore from 1987 to 1993 where he was Rector and Pastor.
He then went to St. Clement’s Mission House from 1993 to 1999 as Rector and Pastor and then became the Rector of St. John Neumann Residence from 1999 to 2005.
From 2005 to 2007 he was assigned to Our Lady of Fatima, Baltimore, 2008-2011 saw him at St. Peter’s Parish in Philadelphia, and then back at Our Lady of Fatima, Baltimore from 2011 to 2016. During 2015-2016 he was assigned to the community of Sacred Heart of Jesus while still ministering at Our Lady of Fatima.
Before retiring to the St. Alphonsus Villa, he was stationed at St. Clement’s Mission House again from 2016 to 2021 and often helped in the parish of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, where he served as pastor between 1993-1999.
In the aftermath of a tragic roof collapse on January 18, 1994 of the Parish Center, Father Gildea was able to rally the people of Our Mother of Perpetual Help to build a larger church, church offices, meeting rooms, and a gym. Father Gildea’s artistic side is seen in the ornamentation of the church sanctuary and in the stations of the cross, which he personally selected.
Funeral arrangements are as follows:
There will be a Mass at Sacred Heart, New Smyrna Beach, Florida on Friday April 1, at 10 a.m.
At Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church, Ephrata, there will be a viewing and wake Service, Wednesday, April 6, 7 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be Thursday, April 7 at 11 a.m., with burial to follow. The funeral will be live-streamed here: https://venue.streamspot.com/event/MzEzODMxNA==
Eternal rest grant unto ARTHUR, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May ARTHUR’s soul and the souls of all the faithful departed thru the mercy of God Rest In Peace. Amen.
