Donor Story
Father Rocco Tito had a reputation as a very pastoral priest. He was a compassionate man and a treasure to those he served. His parishioners related to him, and he to them. Many called him a friend and mentor. His homilies and eulogies were well-planned and thoughtful, so much so that parishioners were known to ask him to celebrate funerals for family members outside his parish. When asked what his hopes for the future of the Catholic Church are, Father Tito had said, “inclusiveness, forgiveness, and considerably more charity among its members.”
Born and raised in Bradford, Father Tito attended Saint Bernard Grade School and High School. His father, Joseph, was a barber and he taught his son those skills. In fact, Father Tito held a barber’s license as a young man. His first inspiration to become a Catholic priest came while serving in the U. S. Army right after World War II. While he and a fellow soldier attended daily Mass, he began to feel a call to permanently commit to the priesthood. During that period, he came to understand that it is impossible to share the love of Christ without personal intimacy with the Lord.
After a year of service in the Army, Father Tito studied for the priesthood at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY. He was ordained at Saint Peter Cathedral in Erie on May 19, 1955. Father Tito had numerous assignments as he made his way to being named pastor, including the chaplain of Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie. His first assignment as pastor came in 1971 at Saint Paul Parish, also in Erie.
His next assignment in 1979 took him to Saint Walburga Parish in Titusville, where he spent 23 years immersed in the community and developing many close ties. This is where he met and became great friends with Helen Quimby, who worked with him in the parish office. Helen shared that Father Tito was highly respected. In 1990, he was honored as the recipient of the Titusville Area Health Center Humanitarian Award for having a positive impact on health care services in the area.
After retiring in 2010 as the senior associate of Saint Brigid Parish in Meadville, he moved into the independent living apartments at Wesbury Retirement Community. Helen recalled a story that shows exactly how influential Father Tito could be. When he first arrived at Wesbury, a Methodist facility, some of the community had a hard time calling him “Father.” It wasn’t long before they were not only calling him Father Tito, but he had convinced them to allow him to offer a Mass on Wednesdays and two Sunday Masses.
Helen revealed that Father Tito was inspired by three things: the Eucharist, care for the sick, and meditation. “I’ve always had an interest in caring for the sick. I’ve always thought it was one of the priorities of a priest,” Father Tito had said. He made a point to anoint the sick and/or offer an apostolic blessing to patients in the hospital sections of the community. Over time, his reputation as an excellent eulogist had non-Catholic residents asking him to preside over their funerals!
Helen also shared that religious education was very important to Father Tito. He placed importance on youth and adults in formation, those actively seeking to enhance their understanding of the faith, Catholic school education, and other youth programming. His memories of attending Catholic school instilled in him a deep gratitude for the Catholic education he received as a child, and he respected his parents’ commitment to his education.
As an only child, Father Tito was quite devoted to his parents. When making his estate plans, he decided to make a planned gift to honor them. After he passed away in August 2022, the Reverend Rocco A. Tito Endowment in Memory of Joseph and Vittoria Tito was established in the Catholic Foundation with a purpose of supporting the education of students in the Diocese of Erie as well as supporting undergraduate and graduate education for seminarians and priests. Following a life of pastoral service, this desire to give a perpetual gift honoring the parents he loved with a cause dear to him is Father Tito’s remarkable legacy.
“Following a life of pastoral service, this desire to give a perpetual gift honoring the parents he loved with a cause dear to him is Father Tito’s remarkable legacy.”