By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

Our community has been blessed with so many extraordinary people who by the power of their example have inspired many of us to stay the course and continue to build bridges and not walls.

One of those powerful bridge builders who touched so many of us died on July 19 of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, at the age of 76. Father Gerald Fitzsimmons, known to most of us as Fr. Fitz was a powerful preacher and teacher. 

In 1974, Fr. Fitz came as an ordained deacon for the Montfort Missionaries and was assigned to Infant Jesus Catholic Church in Port Jefferson Village. In 1975, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. He was young and filled with tremendous energy with a powerful voice.

In 1979, another young Montfort Missionary came to Port Jefferson’s Infant Jesus Church to replace him. Yours truly was assigned as a parish priest. Fr. Fitz stayed an extra year. I learned so much from him about ministry, about priesthood and about basketball. We were both fierce competitors.

However, what impressed me most was his compassionate heart and his profound commitment to the most vulnerable and broken among us. After Infant Jesus, he served as the pastor of St. Mary Gate of Heaven church in Ozone Park, Queens. Also, during the years after he left Port Jefferson, he became known throughout the region as an extraordinary preacher and retreat master.

His ministry extended around the world. He became a real agent of compassion and justice for those who were victims of clergy sexual abuse. He became internationally known for his compassionate heart and his wisdom.

Hope House Ministries was founded in 1980. In the 1990s, as we were experiencing a lot of growing pains, he was elected Provincial Superior of the Montfort Missionaries in the United StatesDuring his tenure, he was extremely supportive of my ministry in Port Jefferson and supportive of me personally. He always urged me to stay the course and I have.

Having accompanied a number of people who died from ALS, I have always been amazed with their courage, kindness and wisdom.

During the two years with ALS, Father Fitz never stopped working, preaching and healing. Quickly the disease caused him to be confined to a wheelchair; then he became unable to use only a few fingers. However, he continued to use his powerful voice of compassion through Zoom meetings with the international community and celebrating mass regularly for the Sisters of St. Joseph up until a week before he died. 

His voice and compassionate heart will always be remembered. I am grateful that I got to know him and was able to walk with him on part of his journey. I know I am richer for it.

Father Francis Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.