Five Archdiocesan Priests Celebrating Golden Jubilees

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Five priests of the archdiocese are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their ordination this year.

All five were ordained on May 27, 1972 by Cardinal Terence Cooke. Cardinal Dolan offered a Mass for the jubilarian priests June 9 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Father Robert DeJulio retired last year as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St. Catharine, Pelham Manor, where he had served since 2015, and previously was pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Pelham Manor, 2004-2015, and temporary administrator of St. Catharine, 2013-2015. He was dean of students and procurator at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie; treasurer at John. F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers and assistant director of the Permanent Diaconate Program. He served as parochial vicar at St. Margaret of Cortona, the Bronx, 1979-1981; and St. Catharine, Blauvelt, where he was temporary administrator, 1979, and parochial vicar, 1972-1979. 

Msgr. Thomas Derivan has served as pastor of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus, the Bronx, since 2015, and served there as administrator, 2014-2015. He was at St. Helena’s, the Bronx, as pastor, 1996-2014, and parochial vicar, 1972-1996. He was named a monsignor in 1999.

Father Robert Grippo has been pastor of Annunciation-Our Lady of Fatima, Crestwood and Scarsdale, since 2015, and served there as administrator, 2014-2015. He was pastor of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus, the Bronx, 1991-2014. He was parochial vicar of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scarsdale, 1980-1991, and St. Frances de Chantal, the Bronx, 1972-1980. 

Father Dominic Serra, who retired last year, continues to serve as associate professor and director of liturgical studies/sacramental theology at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., where he first joined the faculty in 2000. He was on the faculty of St. Paul’s Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., 1989-2000. He served as parochial vicar of St. Lucy, the Bronx, 1980-1986, and St. Augustine, New City, 1972-1980.

Father John Vigilanti has been administrator of the Church of the Magdalene, Pocantico Hills, since 2016. He was president of the Academy of Mount St. Ursula, the Bronx, 2008-2016, and pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption, the Bronx, 1994-1995. He was parochial vicar of St. Bartholomew, Yonkers, 1975-1980; St. Thomas of Canterbury, Cornwall-on-Hudson, 1972-1975; and St. James the Apostle, Carmel, 1972. He also served in various roles for the Metropolitan Tribunal, and as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.