Reverend Dr. Philip J. Rotunno

ROTUNNO
Reverend Dr. Philip J., 73, on Monday May 12, 2014. Father Philip J. Rotunno entered eagerly into the peace of eternal life to sing God's praises and join his predeceased family of parents Rose and Florio, bother Anthony, and his Sicilian grandparents Felice and Maria Carmella Biscelli and his Barese grandparents Antonio and Giuseppina Rotunno. He is survived by his long companion and twin brother, Fr. Floyd Rotunno, beloved cousin Roberta Nafash, nephews and nieces: Anthony, Jennifer, Logan Anthony, Mark Anthony, niece Katherine Rose and mother Maureen DeBlasio, dear families of Joseph Ramaglia, life - long friend Peter Triolo, Laura Guerra, Jose Leonardo Benavides, beloved Godchildren Kendal, Lillian, Sebastian and Jazmin Morales and many dear friends. His family and friends will receive visitors on Tuesday May 20, 2014 from 5-9 PM at the Vainieri Funeral Home 5923 Kennedy Blvd North Bergen, NJ, vainierifuneralhome.com. A funeral mass will be offered at The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 47 Island Road Mahwah. A viewing will be held prior to mass at 9:30 AM in the church. Celebrant of the funeral mass will be Rev. Floyd Rotonno. Interment at the Maryrest Cemetery, Mahwah, NJ. Fr. Phil was born and raised in Edgewater in the loving embrace of his many Sicilian aunts and uncles all from the Aeolian Islands of the Volcano and Lipari. He was ordained May 28, 1966 by Archbishop Thomas A. Boland in Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newark. He was first assigned to Our Lady of Good Council Church in Newark from 1966 - 1968. He was there for the Newark riots and responded to a desire to bring healing and comfort to the frustrations of so many who wanted to be heard. He developed an after school 60-voices boys choir from the school which sang at the Sunday and Holyday Masses. It was there that he learned to love the diversity of city parish life to which he was devoted later on in West New York. He was assigned to Seton Hall Prep in South Orange to teach music, studying Music Education at the Catholic University in Washington DC and meeting many experienced teachers and educators. In 1970, University President Msgr. Tom Fahy asked him to leave the Prep and come into the university to develop what was a new trend in pastoring students called Campus Ministry. Fr. Phil began by himself and left a Campus Ministry of ten staff ministers. It was during this time that he received a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Drew University in Madison in the specialty of developing Collegial Ministry. While at Seton Hall he was appointed Director of the Italian Institute succeeding Msgr. Monella who had served as Chaplain to the Italian Forces in WWII, was a commendatore of Italian Government, a man of great learning in Italian Letters and admired by Fr Phil began his studies as a Phd. candidate at Rutgers University in New Brunswick for eight years, spending six summers at the University of Urbino, Italy. Every author from the Troubadors and Dante in the court of the Kingdom of Sicily, right up to the 20th century works of Sciasia, Calvino and D'Annunzio were studied with delight, while focusing on the given topic of his doctoral theses: The Influence of St Augustine in the works of Petrarch. He served as Director for two years when it was absorbed into the academics studies of the University. Fr. Phil went on to found the first ministry in the Archdiocese to serve HIV/Aids sufferers with the blessing of then Archbishop McCarrick. He recruited volunteers to join him at St Michael's Hospital, with Fr. Paul Viale and Fr. John Nickas in an education program about the virus and then visiting the patients with HIV/Aids. Fr. Phil was among the first to be certified as an Aids Counselor. Archbishop Gerety asked Fr. Phil to serve as a Coordinator of the Charismatic Renewal for a period of three years. After serving 28 years Fr. Phil stepped into his retirement. Fr. Phil's last assignment was at Our Lady of Libera Church in West New York where he served as Pastor for 20 years, 1991-2011. He often said it was his greatest joy. Fr. Phil became a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and chaplain of the Madonna Della Libera Council. Upon retirement he lived in Guttenberg, close to his parishioners and friends. He often said he never regretted one day in his priesthood which gave him so much joy and many blessings. He ended every sermon in the words "God Bless You, God Love You and Praise the Lord."