By Gia Myers • Posted December 5, 2024

Villa St. Joseph in Darby celebrated 75 years of providing residential care for the retired and infirmed priests of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Nov. 20.

This diamond jubilee anniversary commemorated the first diocesan home in the United States for aged and infirmed priests with a gala celebration on Sept. 20. The celebration was attended by two archbishops, residents, staff (current and former) and many friends of the 61-room community.

The Villa is “a living legacy to two priests,” said Msgr. Francis Carbine, 90, who’s lived at the Villa for 10 years.

He refers to Msgr. Francis X. Wastl, who purchased the land where the Villa resides in 1913, and Msgr. William A. Kavanagh, a former vice chancellor of the archdiocese, who had the inspiration to create the Villa after seeing an elderly priest sitting on a doorstep while driving through the city one day.

“It feels like family. All wonderful people work here,” said Carolyn Casey, who’s been an employee of the Villa for 44 years this December.

Casey, 75, was born in 1949, the same year the Villa opened. She started working at the Villa in 1981 at age 31 as the business manager, a position she held until 2004. Her current role is financial analyst and security staff supervisor.

“It’s been a wonderful vocation for me,” said Casey, a parishioner at St. Laurence Parish in Upper Darby since 1974. “I’ve been here more than half my life. I’m happy to wake up every morning and come to work.”

The good work of the staff affects the priests’ morale “in a most positive way,” said Msgr. Carbine. He specifically mentions registered nurse Suzanne McClelland, director of priests’ retirement services; Susan Smith, dietary manager; and Barbara Kramer, director of nursing.

Ordained in 1962, Msgr. Carbine is pastor emeritus of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bensalem, and served as a professor at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary for 20 years.

Msgr. Carbine enjoys the “spiritual activities” of Masses and communal prayer while living at the Villa, as well as joining the community to watch football games with snacks provided by the dietary staff.

“It’s such a nice place,” said Msgr. Kenneth McAteer, who has resided at the Villa for seven months. Ordained in 1973, he is pastor emeritus of St. Ephrem Parish in Bensalem before coming to the Villa.

He still enjoys celebrating weekday Masses and hearing confessions at nearby parishes and nursing homes. He also appreciates the camaraderie at the Villa during meals and talking with other priests in residence, especially sharing memories.

“This is their home,” said McClelland, a former hospice nurse who’s been in her current role for three years. She is a member of St. Denis Parish  in Havertown, and a graduate of Archbishop Carroll High School and Gwynedd-Mercy University.

“Our nursing staff is very competent. They’re all well-educated nurses,” McClelland said. “We all do it together and try to keep everybody happy. It’s a wonderful group of men.”

The staff ensures that the priests in residence have engaging activities to fill their days at the Villa. A social worker coordinates lunch and dinner trips, shopping and errand trips, and also a yearly summer retreat to Stone Harbor, N.J.

The staff also make holidays special. McClelland says the priests enjoy a full Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, and at Christmas will receive stockings stuffed with small gifts, including puzzles, candy canes, snacks and hand sanitizer.

Built with limestone walls, the Villa sits nestled between Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital (founded in 1933) and St. Francis Country House, a nursing home founded in 1913.  All three reside on the land Msgr. Wastl purchased from three Quaker farmers.

The archdiocesan priest, well-known for his social service work, considered the fresh air in what was then the countryside of Darby, Delaware County to be a healthful environment where those suffering from age and illness could rest and recuperate.

The September gala took place outside the building in a white tent with guests enjoying the sounds of an eight-piece brass band and delicious meals of steak, roast beef and chicken, all prepared by the dietary staff.

Among those in attendance was Archbishop Nelson Pérez and Archbishop Edward Adams, a Philadelphia native and archdiocesan priest who had served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since the mid-1970s and returned to Philadelphia in retirement.

One need of the Villa in which all can participate is requesting unannounced Mass intentions. Many priest residents are happy to celebrate such Masses individually for particular intentions. Any parishes or Catholic parishioners with unannounced Masses should contact the Villa at 610-586-8535.