The Franciscan Friars of the Province of the Immaculate Conception, New York, NY, regret to announce the passing of our brother, Father Frederick Mazzarella, O.F.M., on Good Friday, April 10, 2020, due to complications from lung cancer. At the time he was a resident of Providence Villa Nursing Home in Toronto, Canada. Fr. Frederick was 87 years old. He was born September 23, 1932 in New York City (Manhattan) and given the baptismal name Arthur, the son of Antoinette Perrilla and Frederick Mazzarella. He was a vocation from our mother church, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, in Greenwich Village. After his seminary and Franciscan formation training, Fr. Fred was ordained a priest on May 20, 1961. After his ordination he served for nine years as a Franciscan missionary in Honduras and El Salvador, Central America. In 1970 was assigned to Toronto, Canada, where he served for many years as a hospital chaplain and parish priest. He most notably served as both pastor and associate pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Church Parish Mansfield Avenue, in Little Italy. He was also a former pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish. Since 1990, Fr. Fred was also a part-time chaplain to the Toronto Police Department Traffic Division. Fr. Fred was always available to assist at neighboring parishes and was a very popular preacher. He preached many missions and retreats in the Toronto area. He was also a great promoter of the annual Good Friday Procession on College Street, which had run continuously for 58 years until its cancellation this year due to the pandemic. Fr. Fred retired from full time active ministry in 2012 but continued serving God’s people in many ways. He was known for his wonderful humor, his seemingly endless arsenal of jokes, and his love and care for everyone. The Franciscan Friars remember him fondly for his great stories, and he would delight at entertaining the Friars at retreats, meetings, and provincial chapters.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no funeral Mass or viewing at this time. Fr. Fred was buried, attended only by his Franciscan brothers, on Thursday, April 16 at Holy Cross Cemetery, Thornhill. Many of his fellow friars and priests, parishioners and friends, mourn his passing and regret that at this time a proper send-off will have to be postponed. The Franciscan Friars plan on having an appropriate farewell Mass and celebration of his life at a future date when the current health restrictions are lifted.

A video produced by Salt and Light Media, called “Portrait of a Priest,” can be found on YouTube of his ministry as a police chaplain:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWZxcnnHkCg