1934 – 2022 (January 28)
William Alphonse Recchuti, was born on July 29, 1934, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Alphonse and Mary (Geis) Recchuti. He had one brother and one sister. He was baptized at Saint Gregory Catholic Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 12, 1934. He attended Saint Gregory Parish School, (1940-1948), and Saint Thomas More High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1948-1952). He then went to Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, as a postulant (1952-1953) and then to Villanova University as a student (1953-1954). He was received into the Order as a novice on September 9, 1954 and after a year at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, he professed first vows on September 10, 1955. He returned to Villanova University (1955-1958) and received a BA in Philosophy. He then went to Augustinian College, Washington, DC, for his theological studies (1958-1962) and received an MA in Religious Education. He professed solemn vows on September 10, 1959. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 3, 1961, by Bishop Philip Hannon, at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC.
Fr. Bill was first assigned to Saint Joseph Friary and to Monsignor Bonner High School, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, (1962-1988). During his twenty-six years at the high school, he taught theology and Latin, was moderator of the school band, moderator of the Father’s Club, and was prior of the friary community from 1985-1988. In addition, he was a faithful caregiver of Fr. Bill Atkinson from 1975-1988. From 1988 to 1998 he was assigned to Saint Genevieve Parish, Flourtown, Pennsylvania, as associate pastor (1988-1994) and pastor (1994-1998). In 1998, for his sabbatical year he went to the Washington Theological Union, Washington, DC, and to the Collegio Santa Monica, Rome, Italy. In 1999, he was assigned to Assumption/St. Paul Parish, Mechanicville, New York, where he served as pastor (1999-2005). From 2005 to 2006 he was associate pastor of Saint Mary Parish, Waterford, New York. In September 2006, he was assigned as associate pastor and as prior at Saint Rita of Cascia National Shrine and Parish, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In March 2019, he was assigned to Our Lady of Good Counsel Friary in South Philadelphia and continued ministry at the Shrine.
In whatever ministry he performed, Fr. Bill was always a kind and gentle priest. He was generous in giving of himself and his time to his brothers and to the people he served. After two hospitalizations beginning in early January with a brief period of rehabilitation following a fall and having been diagnosed with pneumonia, Fr. Bill was transferred to the hospice unit of Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, where he passed on the evening of January 28, 2022. At the time of his death, he had been a priest for 60 years and a friar for 66 years.
