Father Francis ‘Fritz’ Gollery welcomed back to priesthood after nearly 50 years

COCKEYSVILLE – Almost exactly 50 years after Father Francis “Fritz” Gollery received permission to leave the priesthood, the 86-year-old clergyman has been reinstated as a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

During a Nov. 18 Mass at St. Joseph in Cockeysville, Archbishop William E. Lori welcomed Father Gollery back into the presbyterate at a Day of Recollection with his brother priests that also honored priests celebrating milestone jubilees.  

Father Gollery made promises of celibacy and obedience during the celebration and signed a rescript, a formal document authorized by Pope Francis that allows a previously laicized priest to be restored to ministry.

“Now, as if to prove that God is with us, something is about to happen that will rejoice the hearts of all us priests, past and present,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “Today it is official that Fritz Gollery is received back into our presbyterate.”

In celebration of his return, Monsignor Richard W. Woy presented Father Gollery’s former gold chalice to him at the end of Mass, which had been a gift Father Gollery had given to Monsignor Woy when he was ordained.

“In June 1963, Father Gollery was an assistant priest at St. Peter in Westernport. He taught me how to be an altar boy,” said Monsignor Woy, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Crofton, who credited Father Gollery’s “humble, kind and priestly life” for inspiring him to become a priest.

“With great, great joy, I hand your chalice back to you,” said an emotional Monsignor Woy, as he embraced Father Gollery.

Father Gollery was first ordained a priest in May 1963. In addition to serving in Westernport, he was involved in ministry at St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Highlandtown and St. Mary of the Assumption in Govans. After serving in active ministry for eight years, he asked for a leave of absence before deciding to leave priesthood altogether three years later.

“That was granted to me on Nov. 15, 1974, 50 years ago,” Father Gollery wrote in a letter he shared with friends and family. “I would always remain a priest but with all obligations removed, as allowed.”

He married Marcella Ziolkowski July 26, 1975, at St. Brigid in East Baltimore. The couple were active members of St. Agnes, Catonsville/St. William of York, Ten Hills, while Father Gollery had a career in vocational rehabilitation counseling.

“After 45 years of a very blessed married life, without the gift of living children, my wife died of cancer on May 24, 2021,” Father Gollery wrote. “And here the story of return begins.”

Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop Adam J. Parker, who vested Father Gollery in a white alb at the Nov. 18 liturgy, first suggested that Father Gollery return to the priesthood. The idea intrigued him, Father Gollery said, and he met with Archbishop Lori, who was open to the idea and made a request to the Vatican to begin the process.

“I had always believed that to serve in the priesthood of Christ required a call to do so from the church as well as the desire that he placed in my heart,” Father Gollery wrote. “Certainly, the desire was present in my heart, and had been there for a long time, perhaps even more so today as his love and power has been more deeply revealed to me in his Holy Spirit.”

Despite sending letters to Pope Francis and promising to live a celibate life, Father Gollery’s request was denied in October 2023.

“From that response, I figured that was the end of it,” Father Gollery wrote. “But at the end of December 2023, I learned from Archbishop Lori that the Vatican had approached him in reference to taking another look at my/his request.”

The process began again and Pope Francis granted the petition Oct. 28.

“After prayer, discernment, further preparation and a little wrangling in Rome, Fritz is again numbered among the priests of the Archdiocese of Baltimore,” Archbishop Lori told the full church. “Fritz, or should I say, Father Fritz, I couldn’t be happier.”

Afterward, Father Gollery said he was touched by Monsignor Woy’s gift of the chalice, which has family wedding rings and a diamond ring in it.

“It’s very meaningful to me,” Father Gollery said, of the chalice. “It was a gift to me from my association with Our Lady of Perpetual Help.”

Monsignor Woy said his friendship with Father Gollery has seen him through “good times and challenging times.”

“He is a blessing for the people he tends and sees,” Monsignor Woy said.

Father Gollery has been granted the status of a retired priest. He will be engaged in the pastoral ministry of a retired priest. 

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org

Also see: Archdiocesan priests mark milestone jubilees

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