Popular Carmelite Priest Returns To Joliet For 40th Anniversary Of Ordination

JOLIET, IL - He is not the most famous graduate from Joliet Catholic's Class of 1966. That honor goes to Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, whose life story became the iconic Hollywood movie, "Rudy." But around Joliet, Father John Jay Comerford still remains an incredibly popular figure. He has the gift of gab.

And this week, the well-liked Carmelite priest returned to his hometown roots. He's back, visiting from Niagara Falls, Ontario. He's celebrating the 40th anniversary of his ordination into the priesthood. He'll say the 4 p.m. Mass at his childhood neighborhood parish, St. Patrick's Church. A special reception will follow in the gymnasium.

"I'm celebrating my 40th anniversary. I can't believe it," Comerford told Joliet Patch this week.

Besides graduating from Joliet Catholic, Comerford later taught there from 1978 to 1988 and again from 2003-2006. Of his 40 years in the priesthood, 33 were spent teaching at Carmelite High Schools across the country including Tucson, Arizona, Fairbanks, Alaska and near Los Angeles.

For the past five years, Comerford's been retreat director at the Carmelite monastery in Niagara Falls, Ontario. "We've been there since 1885, and it's always been my favorite place on earth since I was 18 years old, when I was a senior and visited it at Catholic High, in Easter of 1966," Comerford said.

Comerford is a living encyclopedia on Joliet's history and known for leading late-night cemetery tours.

"Well, I considered it an honor to grow up in this town," Comerford said. "This town has a rich history. I am famous for giving my tours in Joliet's cemeteries. That is a great way to learn local history. And there's an awful lot of information on those tombstones. In grade school I would lead my friends in the neighborhood on bicycle tours of Joliet and point out significant buildings and churches, and homes, and so I've always loved the history."

During his first stint teaching at Joliet Catholic, Comerford helped organize overnight pizza parties for the graduating seniors. He retold stories about the apparent ghost of Joliet Catholic, Father Kellen Ryan, a beloved young priest who died in a fiery car crash at 4:31 a.m. March 6, 1972.

"I kind of inherited the stories and carried it on," Comerford said. "It became a senior privilege for the seniors to sleep over in the building, in Kellen's classroom, on the anniversary of his death because, over the years, we kept having things happening. The alarms would all go off in the building at the time that he died at 4:31 a.m., and people's sightings and hearing voices ... I knew some of the people that this happened to, including Mike Nadeau, who had been the dean of students. He saw the ghost, other people saw the ghost, so it's just been intriguing, it's a great mystery. It's nice to have a resident ghost in our building."

Comerford is also fascinated by old prisons, so he is ecstatic that Joliet's city leaders are now seriously exploring ways to turn the old Joliet Prison into a major tourism destination. This way, Joliet can capitalize on "Joliet Jake" and the "Blue Brothers" nostalgia.

"Since we're known for that, instead of kind of poo-pooing that, or trying to avoid it, why don't we make the most of it?" Comerford asked. "I would love to see this new opportunity to restore the Collins Street prison come to fruition. It can be a financial boom, not only for the east side but for all of the city. Anyway, I think it would be tremendous boost to local history."

Comerford said a lot of his former students and old classmates plan to attend Saturday's 4 p.m. at St. Patrick's Church, 710 West Marion Street.

"There will be a reception in the gym afterwards, much food, and I brought twelve bottles of wine," he said. "We have a winery at our monastery at Niagara Falls. We are the only the monastery in Canada with a winery. We just began selling the wine four weeks ago. So I brought a case of Monastery Cellars Wine, and the wine I brought is white wine, and it is called the Prior's Cask, and I'm the Prior."

Joliet Patch asked if the wine he brought in from Canada is for sale this weekend.

"Not for sale! We'll be popping it, and pouring it," Comerford said, laughing.

Here's a preview of Saturday's homily:

"I am going to be mostly talking about the roots of the things, the influences in Joliet that formed the development of my vocation," he said.

What does the future hold for the Joliet native currently assigned to Niagara Falls?

"Although I will turn 70 in February, I have no intention of retiring yet," Comerford said. "I would like to come back to the area, possibly, if there would be a teaching opening, or else work at a retreat house or parish. If not here, maybe a warmer climate."

Image via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak