Former longtime pastor of Holy Spirit in Joppa dies

Father Joseph C. Simmons, the former longtime pastor of Holy Spirit in Joppa, who led major construction projects and was remembered for his presence to parishioners, died Feb. 25 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He had just turned 89 Feb. 10.

When he retired in June 2022, Father Simmons had been a priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore for 61 years. His last 40 years of priesthood were at Holy Spirit in Joppa. Prior to his retirement, he was the oldest active priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore at age 86.

“He loved being a priest. He really loved Holy Spirit,” said Father Gerry Bowen, archdiocesan director of senior and retired priests, who got to know Father Simmons when the priest retired to Mercy Ridge in Timonium. “Talking and praying with him, he told me, ‘I had a great life.’”

Father Simmons oversaw the building of a new church at Holy Spirit in 1988. In December 2009, an electrical fire destroyed most of Holy Spirit’s parish center. Father Simmons was determined to rebuild, and in 2012, a new parish center was completed for $1.9 million.

“He was very well liked by just about everybody,” said Norm Pelissier, a parish corporator at Holy Spirit. “He loved to go out for breakfast. Give him a date and he would be there.”

Father Simmons’ niece, Mary-Kate Ohl, echoed Pelissier’s comments.

“He was always looking for a good meal,” Ohl said with a laugh. “It was how he got to know people. He would go into homes and have meals with families and parishioners.”

Father Simmons was raised in Canton at St. Brigid Parish and graduated from Mount St. Joseph High School in Irvington. He attended minor seminary at St. Charles in Catonsville and spent five years in formation at St. Brieuc Seminary in France, where he became fluent in French. Archbishop Francis P. Keough was ordained him a priest May 27, 1961, at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.

He served as associate pastor at St. Matthew in Northwood, St. Patrick in Cumberland and St. Francis of Assisi in Baltimore and was a chaplain at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore before being assigned to Holy Spirit in October 1982.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Pelissier and Father Simmons recorded every Mass for YouTube.

“It was just me and him. It was a rough time, but he handled it well,” Pelissier said.

Father Simmons could be blunt and didn’t hesitate to say what was on his mind, Pelissier said.

“He would correct somebody if they needed to be corrected,” Pelissier said. “He was not afraid to tell you.”

Mary Smith, a member of the pastoral council, noted that Father Simmons was easygoing except about certain things, like music.

“He liked the old traditional hymns,” Smith said, who visited Father Simmons regularly at Mercy Ridge. 

Her uncle “was all about family,” Ohl said, and was like a third parent for her and her siblings, helping out at their home and vacationing with them.

“He was always looking for a good road trip,” Ohl said. “He took us to Ocean City, Deep Creek Lake, Cumberland. He was always up for driving somewhere.”

Father Simmons also enjoyed traveling abroad and organized a trip to Lourdes and Fatima for parishioners at Holy Spirit. He always had a camera, too.

“He loved his photographs,” Smith said. “He loved to show slideshows. He had lots of stories to tell of his travels.”

Ohl called Father Simmons the “family historian.”

“He took pictures for years and years,” she said.

Father Simmons was supportive of the community and the needs of the people around him, Smith said.

“He really did know people, who they were and what they were about,” Smith said. “He would keep in touch with them even when they left the parish. He was very personable.”

In an interview with Catholic Review upon his retirement, Father Simmons said building relationships with parishioners was one of his biggest accomplishments. 

“It’s been all about helping people with life issues and helping them connect with spiritual life,” Father Simmons said. “The best part of being a priest is working with people and helping them through any difficulties.”

Father Bowen admitted he was a little envious, in a good way, of Father Simmons.                                                                                              

“What a blessed life to be filled with gratitude,” Father Bowen. “He told me he had no fear.’”

A viewing will be offered Feb. 27, 2-4 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Holy Spirit, followed by a 7 p.m. vigil service. Archbishop William E. Lori will offer the funeral Mass at noon Feb. 28 at Holy Spirit. The funeral will be preceded by a viewing, 11-11:45 a.m.

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org

Editor’s Note: This story was updated March 5 to correct Monsignor Simmons’ birthday.

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