† MAGNUM DAMNUM IN NOBIS FACTUM EST †
It was with extreme
sadness that we learned of the passing of the Rev. Monsignor Joseph Ambrosio on
the morning of Sunday, October 4th, 2020 -- an inimitable Monsignor if there ever was one. There were so many
qualities that made him an excellent person, a great friend, a faithful
Christian, and an exemplary Priest. It can be safely said that, in these days
of liturgical chaos, no one outdid him in his zealous dedication for the beauty
of the House of God and that it was a great joy to serve Mass when he was the
Celebrant.
Not only did he try to
rescue liturgical items from closed churches in order to put them to good
liturgical use in his own church, but he washed, starched, pressed, and
repaired the sacred linens himself, as he believed it was his duty to take care
of the Sanctuary and the Tabernacle of which he was made the custodian. Everyone
who ever visited his church and attended his Masses will testify that he always
wanted the best for the Liturgy: vestments, music, sacred vessels, Relics, ceremonies,
all types of liturgical items, etc. Additionally, he very graciously donated
many of these things to other communities that did not have what was needed for
the reverent and beautiful celebration of the Liturgy.
A truly humble priest,
he would most often refer to himself simply as “Fr. Ambrosio,” despite his
title of Monsignor as a Chaplain to His Holiness. He would also frequently pray
the beautiful Litany of Humility, which he seems to have known from memory and of
which he would frequently remind people whenever certain things did not go as
planned: “these things make us humble,” he would say.
In addition to his
humility, he knew how to provide undeniably generous hospitality: servers,
parishioners, priests, Bishops, and Cardinals were witnesses of his great level
of generosity whenever they would visit his rectory. In particular, he was
well-known for his famous invitations to dinner, which made everybody realize
what an excellent cook he was, and he always made sure to provide full
entertainment, since he would also sing and play the piano, as well as tell unforgettable
stories in a way that he alone knew how – no one ever experienced a dull
evening in Msgr. Ambrosio’s rectory! Ite
ad Joseph had a different meaning in Newark, N.J.
His love for the
Liturgy became much stronger when he began to celebrate the traditional Liturgy
of the Roman Church, so much so that he eventually had all the Masses at Mt. Carmel celebrated ad orientem. He would also graciously accept invitations to celebrate
the Old Mass in many different places and in particular in New York City at the
Church of the Holy Innocents. Many of the parishioners and servers there grew
to love and admire him. He frequently said that he loved going to Holy
Innocents to celebrate the Old Mass, which for many years he did on his days
off (Fridays), and several times he was heard saying: “Whenever I go to Holy Innocents, I feel young.” Once he said this at
a dinner table full of servers, priests, and a couple of Bishops.
His passing from this
world certainly leaves a tremendous void because people like the good old
Monsignor are impossible to replace. May he rest in the eternal Peace of
Christ.
Súscipe, Dómine, servum tuum in locum sperándæ sibi
salvatiónis a misericórdia tua. Amen.
† LUGET ECCLESIA DEI JOSEPHUM
AMBROSIUM †