April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
MOVING AWAY
West Winfield bids farewell to long-tenured parishioner
West Winfield bids farewell to long-tenured parishioner
"Nothing big," said the parishioner of St. Joseph the Worker Church in West Winfield/Richfield Springs.
Mr. Doyle is leaving his long-time home and parish, but he's not too stressed about the move. He knows it's the best thing for him to do.
His friends at St. Joseph's, though, are going to miss him greatly. At age 95, the parish claims, he's tied for the title of longest-tenured parishioner with fellow senior citizen Bonnie Byrnes.
Mr. Doyle says they're wrong and the honor is all hers.
"I've known Maurice since we became parishioners in the area probably 25 years ago," said Diane Hammond, a friend who's also the business office manager at St. Joseph's. "He always knew the comings and goings of the priests and visitors."
Next-door neighbor
Because Mr. Doyle has lived right next door to the church, he's been able to keep an eye on it from his kitchen window. "He doesn't let anything get by him," Mrs. Hammond said. "He always knew what was going on at the rectory."
His presence will be missed at the church both physically and spiritually, Mrs. Hammond noted: "He always put things in perspective as far as faith goes."
Born June 14, 1921, Mr. Doyle celebrated his 95th birthday on Flag Day this summer. His daughters, Carol, Maureen and Joan, threw him a party at his home.
Although the nonagenarian had fun and enjoyed the food, he says all of the sitting and standing to greet guests left him sore.
In fact, after getting stuck in his chair, Mr. Doyle had to call someone for help. Accidentally dialing the wrong number, he spoke to a kind stranger who came over and helped him get into bed. Mr. Doyle had never met the man before and hasn't seen him since.
After his birthday, Mr. Doyle had a few bad spells, losing his balance and falling in his home.
"I made my mind up awfully quick," he said of his decision to move to an assisted living facility in New Hartford, N.Y., near Utica. "The doctors and my family said I should do something before something happened."
From the start
Parishioners note that Mr. Doyle has been part of St. Joseph's since the West Winfield church was dedicated in 1921: His mother attended the dedication ceremony while nine months pregnant with him, and gave birth the very next day.
Mr. Doyle grew up on a dairy farm with his parents, Frank and Grace, and a sister, Gertrude. He later bought the farm with his wife, Mary, raising his own children there.
The pair had met when Mr. Doyle was a senior in high school. Mary was two years older than him.
"She was a registered nurse," he said. "She was in town visiting her cousin. I asked her to the senior ball and that was it."
The pair married in 1942 in a church in Utica, Mrs. Doyle's hometown. Mrs. Doyle stayed home with the children and the family worked on the farm; later, Mr. Doyle worked for the parish school as a groundskeeper and then a bus driver. He retired at 65.
Mary passed away in 1995. There are now 10 Doyle grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. The family has dispersed across the country, from California to New York.
Mr. Doyle has found company in his parish community and close friends. For years, he was a trustee for St. Joseph's; he has also been the caretaker for the church, making sure that everything was in order and looking its best.
Church changes
He has probably witnessed more changes in the Church than most -- especially, he said, in how people act and dress. "I think things are too informal" now, he told The Evangelist. When he was young, "if you wanted to talk, you went outside. Everyone was dressed up. It was different.
"I've probably only missed Mass a dozen times since I was born," he said.
The 95-year-old noted that he was never an altar server -- "I wasn't smart enough," he quipped -- but he always went to his catechism classes.
Now, he said, he knows students still attend faith formation, but he doesn't think he sees them in church often enough. Though the parish has changed -- St. Joseph's is now one parish with two worship sites, West Winfield and Richfield Springs -- West Winfield itself has stayed more or less the same, he said, except for the loss of some grocery stores over the years.
When it's time for Mr. Doyle to move, he'll simply lock the door and say goodbye to his house. Even after 95 years in the same place and parish, he said, "I'm just excited to go."
One he gets settled in, fellow St. Joseph's parishioners believe, he'll be very popular with other residents in his new home.[[In-content Ad]]
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