Bill Riccio Receives Ministry of Acolyte

By Fr. Greg Markey (pastor of St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk)

On Wednesday, March 30, I was blessed to attend a private ceremony at Bishop Lori’s residence in Trumbull for the Institution of Acolyte.   Bill Riccio, a parishioner here at St. Mary Church, had the unique distinction of receiving the Ministry of Acolyte from the hands of Bishop William E. Lori at a simple 7:30 A.M. Mass in the bishop’s private chapel.  What a blessing for the whole Church.

            I am proud to say that Bill Riccio has been a friend of mine for over ten years.  I first met Bill in 2000 when I was deepening my understanding of the Church’s liturgical traditions and I recognized immediately that he was a tremendous resource.  Although not formally trained, Bill has a vast knowledge of liturgical traditions.

            Bill learned much of what he knows today as an altar boy, by simply paying attention to the good priests of his home parish, St. Anthony Church in New Haven, which was then run by the Scalabrini Fathers.  These devoted Italian priests ran the school and parish, and organized elaborate liturgies which inspired Bill. When many of these traditions were no longer practiced after the Second Vatican Council, Bill still sought opportunities to keep these beautiful liturgies alive.  He continued to read and study liturgy as a mere hobby, and the Holy Spirit eventually brought his private devotion to fruition. 

            When Pope John Paul II promulgated the papal indult Quattuor abhinc annos on October 3, 1984 to promote the local celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, Bill became one of the founding members of The Saint Gregory Society.  The St. Gregory Society is a non-profit lay association in New Haven founded to help promote the Traditional Latin Mass.  Over the years Bill emceed weekly Latin Masses in New Haven and even around the country, and developed a reputation for having a tremendous knowledge of the liturgy along with an easy-going temperament. 

            In 1992, when Cardinal Alfons Maria Stickler was invited to the United States to offer a Pontifical Solemn High Mass at St. Agnes Church in Manhattan, questions arose as to who could put together this elaborate liturgy.  Even though he was not a priest, Bill Riccio was called down to New York to organize and emcee the Mass.  It was the first Mass of this kind here in the United States since the Second Vatican Council (1965) and this beautiful Mass is still fondly remembered by many today.  It is a safe to say that Bill Riccio was one of the key people who kept the Latin Mass alive in the State of Connecticut and even around the country during the past 40 years, and now with Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 motu propio, Summorum Pontificum, his gifts are truly being recognized.

            It may sound strange but Bill Riccio, a layman, taught many priests, including Fr. Cipolla, Fr. Check, Fr. John Ringley and myself, all how to say the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Since the advent of Summorum Pontificum, Bill continues to give lessons on the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite to priests, and to emcee Masses in the tri-state area. 

            With the institution of acolyte by Bishop Lori, Bill is now able to act as sub-deacon in the 9:30 A.M. Sunday Mass (Bill is also our Sunday 8:00 A.M. Mass organist and cantor).  As an acolyte, he is also permitted to act as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion in the Ordinary Form of the Mass, giving out the Eucharist with the official approval of the bishop.  Bill’s institution as acolyte is a rare occurrence because this is normally only given to seminarians, so I am especially grateful to Bishop Lori for allowing this exception to someone who has devoted so much of his life to the Church’s liturgy.  May the Lord continue to bless Bill with many more fruitful years of service to the Catholic Church.

(We apologize for the belated publication of this news; Bill Riccio acted as Subdeacon throughout Holy Week at St. Mary’s parish)