Do what you love and you will live your life with joy!! At age 95, Fr. Brady is doing just that. I have gotten acquainted with Fr. Brady at Fox Run in Orchard Park where he offers confessions and presides over the 4 0’clock vigil mass. You would never know he was 95. He started saying masses at Fox Run about 5 years ago when he would go to visit his younger sister who was a resident there. He wanted her to be able to attend mass and learned that Catholic mass was not offered. Fr. Brady changed that. Motivated to have his sister attend mass, he started weekly vigil mass in the community room. The mass has grown. It is filled every week with residents, friends and family. And I mean filled.

Fr. “Pat” Philip Brady was ordained December 18, 1943. This year he will be celebrating his 70th anniversary. 70 years as a priest! His first mass was at St. Mark’s RC Church (Dec.19, 1943) in Buffalo at 401 Woodward Avenue. It is the parish he grew up attending and the grammar school he graduated from. Off he went to do missionary work with the Columban Fathers to spread the gospel of the Lord. In the late 1950’s there were no opening for priests in Buffalo. You did not read that wrong. It is worth repeating. Buffalo had too many priests in the 1950’s!!  Fr.”Pat” Philip Brady was assigned the St. Margaret Mary parish in Shelton, CT. and spent 25 years serving as a diocesan priest.

You may wonder why I keep referring to Fr. Brady as Fr. “Pat” Philip. His birth name is Philip but no one has ever called him that. He has been Pat for as long as he can remember. A nickname. But just to make it legal; his ordination card which his niece Shelly carries in her wallet reads Patrick Philip Brady. They had to include Patrick because that is the only name he is known as and Philip because that is his legal name. Shelly is honored to carry his first mass card; he is a model. A model to all of us. The residents of Fox Run certainly appreciate the invaluable gift of attending mass.

If you want to send a card to Fr. Brady for his 70th anniversary to the priesthood send it to Orchard Glen, 6055 Armor Duells Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127.
Congratulations! Thank you for your faith and service.