A priest who helped found Spiritus Christi Church in Rochester, after he was removed from another church, Corpus Christi, has died after a battle with cancer.
Jim Callan was 77 years old and died on Friday night.
It happened a day after a service to celebrate his life, a service which, according to Pastor Myra Brown, Callan watched online. She talked about that in a message posted on the church’s Facebook page.
“And filled his heart. Not only did you message him your reflection of what he meant to you and shared it that night, but he was able to attend virtually and message us back at the end of the night how filled up his heart was for each and every one of you.”
Associate Pastor Celie Katovitch talked about Callan during Sunday Mass at the church, and she referred to his 50-year history at that house of worship.
“When Corpus Christi was struggling to keep its doors open in 1976 Father Jim urged tithing, giving away from the very small coffers a big portion of that money to the poor,” said Katovitch, “and with that, this parish is life began to revive.”
The history of Spiritus Christi included years of controversy, when Callan was removed as pastor of what was then Corpus Christi Church in 1998, with the bishop citing Callan’s defiance of church teachings.
He later went on to help establish Spiritus Christi, an independent church, where he remained as associate pastor until his death.
When asked if they had a statement on Callan's death, a spokesperson for the Rochester Catholic Diocese sent this statement:
"We join his family and friends in praying for the repose of his soul."
Reverend Brown said that a celebration of life for Jim Callan is pending.
