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Fr. Francavilla, pastor of Holy Transfiguration Church, dies

Zoey Maraist | Catholic Herald Staff Writer

Fr. Joseph Francavilla speaks in a video during the Middle Eastern Food Festival this September. SCREENGRAB

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Father Joseph Francavilla, 76, pastor of
Holy Transfiguration Greek Melkite-Catholic Church in McLean, died Nov. 13 at
6:45 a.m. after a two year battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by
three brothers: Thomas Francavilla, 80, Charles Francavilla, 77, and Paul
Francavilla, 65.

“With the faithful of the Diocese of
Arlington, I offer my prayers and support to the family of Fr. Francavilla,”
said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge. “He was an exemplary priest known for his
fidelity to Jesus Christ, love of his vocation, and solemn reverence for the
Divine Liturgy. I pray that today he rests in the arms of the loving God that
Fr. Francavilla served so faithfully.”

Father Francavilla was born Jan. 16,
1943, and grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., in an Italian-American family. He attended
The Catholic University of America in Washington, where he met Father Armand
Jacopin, the first pastor of Holy Transfiguration. The encounter inspired Father
Francavilla to learn more about the Eastern Catholic churches. He was ordained
to the priesthood by Bishop Justin Najmy at the Our Lady of the Annunciation
Cathedral in West Roxbury, Mass., May 5, 1968. 

Father Francavilla served at the cathedral
until 1971, when he was sent to the fledging Holy Transfiguration after the
untimely death of Father Jacopin. During Father Francavilla’s tenure, the
parish grew from 30 families to 400. Though he was the sole clergy member when
he arrived, now the parish is additionally served by Father Ephrem Handal,
Protodeacon David Barody, and Deacons David Black, Oliver Black, Elias Dorham and Joseph Olt.

In a recent Catholic Herald article, Father Francavilla expressed
his love for the parish
, saying, “I am fortunate to have been able to baptize
the children, and in some cases, the grandchildren of parishioners whom I, as a
young priest, baptized as infants and to have seen our parish family grow
beyond expectation. People come to us attracted by what we offer: a faith
community, the beauty of Byzantine worship, a vision of the holiness of life,
the mystery of God beyond human kind, an entry into the transcendent.”

The funeral will be held Nov. 18. Father Francavilla will be interred the following day in Vienna next to his longtime friend and fellow priest Archimandrite Charles Aboody at Andrew Chapel Cemetery in Vienna. 

Father Mark Melone has been assigned temporary administrator of the parish. 

 

 

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