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“All are welcome … with great joy”

This was the normal greeting from Father Jerry Gingras at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Glenville. At the beginning of every Mass, Father Jerry would say these words or some variation of them. These weren’t just words to Father Jerry. This was the way he ran our parish and I’m sure the way he ran Our Lady of Grace in Ballston Lake and St. Joseph’s in Scotia. One of Father Jerry’s biggest strengths was his relationship with people. He would challenge himself to know people by name and he was very good at it. He would be out greeting people as they walked into the parish and he would greet them by name. He would say, “How are you today, Joseph?” or “Good afternoon, Kim.” And just by that small gesture, he made you feel like … well, like you belonged there. 

To me, Father Jerry was much more than my priest. He was my mentor, my spiritual advisor, my cheerleader and my friend. Father Jerry greatly encouraged me when I decided to attend the Kateri Institute for Lay Ministry. He read every one of my papers and was always available to help me if I got stuck on something. When we were asked to bring a lectionary to class, Father Jerry wouldn’t let me borrow one until he taught me how to use it. He spent two hours quizzing me and asking me to look things up and set up Mass readings for him before he would allow me to bring the book to class. I really looked like I knew what I was doing at that class.

Father Jerry really encouraged me to take part in the life of the church. I tried to fill a need for adult faith enrichment in our parish. When nobody thought I could get an adult program off the ground, Father Jerry believed in me. He helped me partner with Peter Avvento, STD, who was with St. Edward’s parish at the time, to get a program off the ground. He also encouraged me to take the lead in our RCIA process and was available for guidance whenever I asked for it. He had a huge impact on my own personal faith journey and I have grown in my faith under Father Jerry’s leadership.

Father Jerry also had the unique ability to bring the parish together in healing during our most unbearable tragedies like 9/11 as well as the death of our beloved pastor emeritus, Father J. Thomas Connery, who died on Halloween night in 2019.  Even though Father Jerry was in tremendous pain himself, his focus was always on us.

I’m sure that I am not alone when I say that our parishes have lost more than our pastor. We lost a great leader and a greater friend. My heart goes out to my fellow parishioners, Father Jerry’s friends and his family. Father Jerry was one of the good guys and he will forever be missed.

Kim Klementowski is a parishioner at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Glenville.

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