Father Anthony John Petracca, 68, died August 25, 2024 at Windber Hospice.
He was predeceased by his parents, Anthony John Petracca Sr. and Margaret Mary Petracca (Fadigan); his grandparents, John Petracca (of Italy) and Rose (Arcaro) Petracca; and William Fadigan and Mary (Bannon) Fadigan.
He is survived by his four siblings: Margaret Ann Petracca of Las Vegas, Nevada; Michael Anthony Petracca and his wife Teresa of Camarillo, California; Eleanor Frances Petracca of Los Alamitos, California; and John Anthony Petracca and his wife Ruby of Summerlin, Nevada; and his nephews: Andrew, Michael, Stephen and Thomas Petracca.
Father Anthony was born in suburban Philadelphia on February 2, 1956. He attended Catholic elementary and high school in Drexel Hill and graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in 1978. After attending Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown by Bishop James J. Hogan on May 18, 1985. He had long stated that the primary reasons for his desire to become a priest of God were his service as an altar server at Mass, his love of the Word of God and the example of devout priests such as his first spiritual mentor, Father William C. Van Breda, OSA.
Father Anthony served in several parishes in the diocese and even tried his hand at being a Carthusian hermit in Vermont. After his family moved to the West Coast, he drove across the country every year, and these experiences led to his first book, Seeing America First. A second book, one of sermons, Making Lemonade, soon followed. He loved the beauty of America, through which he felt the presence of God, the Father and Creator. He loved to pray, study and preach the Word of God, which helped him to know Jesus even more.
Eventually, through his ministry to his parishioners, he began to experience the loving presence of the Holy Spirit through others more frequently. (He was greatly assisted in these experiences for two decades by his devout and beloved spiritual mentor, Father Silvan Rouse, CP.)
A funeral mass will be celebrated on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 11 a.m. at Father Anthony’s final place of service, St. Anthony Church in Windber, by Rev. Rod Soha, TOR. Burial will follow in St. Anthony Church Cemetery. Friends will be received from 10 a.m. until mass at St. Anthony Church.
Funeral arrangements by Frank Duca Funeral Home, Westmont Chapel, 1622 Menoher Blvd., Johnstown.
