Rev. Monsignor Vincent A. Tatarczuk

RAYMOND - Monsignor Vincent A. Tatarczuk, 88, of Raymond died Sarasota, Florida Friday, December 27, 2013. He was born in Portland on April 12, 1925 a son of William J. and Stasia Nalbach Tatarczuk. He was a graduate of Cheverus Classical High School and the College of the Holy Cross. He continued his studies at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore where he received his Licentiate in Sacred Theology. On June 11, 1949 he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Daniel J. Feeney at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland. His first assignment was as a curate at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception parish for two years. In 1951 he was assigned by Bishop Feeney to undertake advanced studies in Canon Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In 1954, he received his doctorate (J.D.C.) in Canon Law. He returned to the diocese where he became Vice-Chancellor and Secretary to the Bishop. In 1963 he was elevated to Papal Chamberlain. He then was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Portland in 1964, Vicar for Religious in 1966 and in 1967 he was promoted to Domestic Prelate and was named Vicar General in 1970. In 1971 he was appointed Administrator of St. John the Evangelist Parish in South Portland. In 1975, he was named Vicar for Temporalities. He also served as Diocesan Consulter for many years. He was appointed Pastor of Holy Martyr's Parish in Falmouth in 1979, serving until his retirement in 1996. In addition to his pastoral duties, he served as Defender of the Bond in the Diocesan Tribunal, a member of the Priests' Senate and the Council of Priests, a member of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, and trustee of the Clergy Benefit Plan. In 1981, he was appointed to the Accounting Practices Committee of the United States Catholic Conference in Washington, D.C. He served as President of the Board of Directors of Mercy Hospital, Portland, and President of the Board of Directors of St. Joseph's College, Standish. He was a member of the Board of Directors of United Way of Portland, a trustee of the Curtis Foundation of Portland, a member of the Board of Directors of Southern Maine Comprehensive Health Association of Portland, and a member of the Board of Directors of St. Andre's Home, Biddeford. Under his guidance the diocese built Deering Pavilion in Portland, Seton Village in Waterville, and St. Joseph's Manor in Portland. He was one of the driving forces in establishing the Diocesan Bureau of Human Relations Services, now Catholic Charities of Maine. For many years, he was the editor of the diocesan paper, The Church World, for which he wrote a weekly column. In his more than six decades of service to the diocese, he served under six bishops. At the time of his retirement in 1996, Bishop Joseph Gerry, O.S.B., Bishop of Portland, wrote to him and said: "Every one of the bishops you have served has commented on your complete dedication, wide expertise, and above all, your priestly zeal. The diocese is deeply indebted to you for your thoughtful and challenging leadership." In 2000, he received the Pontifical honor of Protonotary Apostolic for his greater than 50 years of service to the Diocese of Maine. In 2009, on occasion of his 60th anniversary to the priesthood, Archbishop Peter L. Gerety, Archbishop Emeritus of Newark wrote: "Your long career as a high officer of the Diocese of Portland has been filled with accomplishments known and unknown. Those which are known certainly could fill a good sized book. Those accomplishments which are of such importance to the life of the Church, but which are not generally known could fill a whole set of volumes." Monsignor Tatarczuk was predeceased by his parents, a sister Antoinette Tatarczuk, and three nephews: Joseph Murphy, William Tatarczuk and Jeffrey Tatarczuk. He leaves a sister, Bernadette Murphy of Portland; a brother Joseph Tatarczuk and wife Joan of Poestenkill, NY; a niece, Jennifer Rohrwasser and husband Mark of Paradise Valley, AZ; nephews Michael Murphy and wife Honey of New York City, David Tatarczuk of Hillard, Ohio. Monsignor Tatarczuk wished to express his deepest gratitude and appreciation to Karen Metzger for the compassionate and professional care she gave to him during his illness these past years. Friends are invited to attend a Reception of the Body and Liturgy of the Hours to be held Monday, 3:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 307 Congress Street, Portland. Monsignor Tatarczuk will lie in State from 4 -6 p.m. at the Cathedral. A concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m. Tuesday at the Cathedral. Bishop Joseph Gerry, O.S.B., Bishop Emeritus, will be the principal celebrant. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Catholic Charities of Maine, PO Box 10660, Portland, Maine 04104 or St. Andre's Home, Inc., 283 Elm Street, Biddeford, Maine 04005. Arrangements are under the care of Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland.Online condolences may be expressed below.