Fr. JC Maximilian

I actually wanted to wait to write this post until I could find a picture I have of Fr. Garrett Fitzgerald and myself, but alas, my stuff is still in boxes. Hopefully soon, I will be in my new office.

I kind of replaced Fr. Garrett Fitzgerald hear at Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony parish. He left here in early November 2005 to be the administrator (and probably pastor) of Holy Trinity parish in Long Branch. I was not a direct replace for him here, since I arrived about a month later. There was at first some minor confusion because of the similarity of our names; his first name was Garrett, which is my last name. We had joked about that over the past few years. When I was a deacon at Sacred Heart in Trenton, Fr. Garrett Fitzgerald came once to say Mass and someone (a non-Catholic employee) said, “Isn’t it nice that you are going into the same line of work as your father.” I had to explain that he was not my father. We would joke that he was Fr. Garrett “the First” and I was Fr. Garrett “the Last.”

Fr. Garrett “the First” was raised in the Bronx, NY, but studied for the priesthood for the Diocese of Trenton, being ordained in 1975. He served in several parishes in the Diocese of Trenton (the first being St. Jochiam in Trenton) prior to being “caught” in the split of the Diocese in 1981. He served the Diocese of Metuchen for 19 years, but then asked to return to his original diocese. A few days before I was ordained a priest I ran into Fr. Garrett Fitzgerald outside the Pastoral Center, and we had such a wonderful conversation. He was so joyful about my ordination, and joyful about being back in Trenton.

Fr. Garrett Fitzgerald became suddenly ill in the beginning of March, and they discovered a large, inoperable tumor in his liver. The doctors gave him only days to live, and much of it in pain. I, and many priests, visited him while in the hospital — he just loved being with his brother priests. In his suffering he was filled with grace. The final step for his being incardinated again into the Diocese of Trenton was finalized a few days before he died. He died a week ago at the age of 57; survived by his mother, a brother, many friends, and of course his brother priests.

Eternal Rest grant unto him O Lord, and may the perpetual Light shine on him. Rest in peace Fr. Garrett “the First” Fitzgerald.