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Obituary for Joseph A Fata

Father Joseph A. Fata passed away at St. Luke Church on Monday, August 1, 2016 at the age of 74, living as a cancer survivor for more than a decade. Father Fata was born in Youngstown, Ohio on April 21, 1942 to the late Natale and Carmel LaCivita Fata. He attended Sacred Heart School and like many of his classmates went on to Ursuline High School, graduating in 1960.

He began his journey to the priesthood at St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati, completing his college studies at Mount St. Mary of the West Seminary, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1964 from the Athenaeum of Ohio.
After four more years of study, he was ordained into the priesthood of the Diocese of Youngstown on May 25, 1968 by Bishop James W. Malone.

Following ordination, Father Fata served as associate pastor of St. Aloysius Parish in East Liverpool (currently merged into Holy Trinity Parish) from 1968 to 1973. His second associate pastoral assignment was to Our Lady of Peace Parish in Canton, Ohio (currently merged into Christ the Servant Parish) where he served from 1973 to1981. He was assigned his first pastorate at St. Joseph Parish in Mantua, Ohio serving from 1981 to 1988. Since then he has served as pastor of St. Luke Parish in Boardman, Ohio.

Father Fata served as chair of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission and chair and vice president of the Diocesan Board of Religious Education; as secretary of the East Liverpool Ministerial Association, as a member of the ad hoc committee representing associate pastors; and as co-chair of the Community Life Committee on the Diocesan Priests Senate. He was named to the National Board of Directors of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, serving for 16 years. He served on the Stark County Regional Board of Education in the early 1980’s. He also served on the Diocesan Central Finance Committee.

Father Fata served one year as president and four years as Clergy Causus with ACTION, the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods, an ecumenical coalition in Youngstown. In 2014, Father Fata received the “Frances Kerpsack Award” for his dedication to infusing Gospel values into all aspects of his ministry.

In each of his parish assignments, Father Fata expressed ever more richly the gifts of the Spirit that he himself received from the Giver of every good gift. He was a pastor whose primary mission was to nurture the gifts of the Spirit in each of the communities of faith where he ministered. His liturgical gifts were expressed in the grace filled manner in which he led the liturgy, but it was his homilies that made most clear his faith vision. It was a selection of those homilies that became the book just recently published, From Mass to Mission. The book’s cover characterized the messages as “poetic, yet provocative; charming, yet challenging; inspiring, yet unsettling.” This is true of the book because it is true of the person. Indeed his homilies often had a poetic ring to them because he was, at heart, a poet. A book of poems may very well be published posthumously.

Father Fata’s life was devoted to justice and peace as noted above, to the gathering of friends around an incredible fare of food, wine, and lively conversation; to traveling, especially biking in Italy; and ultimately to joy and healing. The number of persons who are richer for knowing him is not really known. The range of persons he befriended, however, is extraordinarily wide. He will be missed and remembered by those touched by him.

He too missed and remembered his father, Natale, and his mother, Carmel. He will be missed and remembered by his sister, Michelena, and brother, Anthony, along with his nieces and nephews: Annie [Eric] Dudenhoefer, Nate [Alicia] Fata, Patty Fata, and Tony [Karen] Fata, and his great-nieces and nephews: Caitlin, Nicholas, Christopher, Luke, and Mary Noelle Dudenhoefer; Nate Edward, Connor, and Ella Fata; along with A.J., Max and Coco Fata. His family is indeed large, including first cousins and extended family in Ohio, Canada, and Savuto, Calabria, Italy.

Visitation will be held at St. Luke Church, 5235 South Avenue, Boardman from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at the church on Wednesday at 7 p.m. with Bishop George V. Murry presiding. Father Fata will be laid to rest at Bear Hollow Cemetery in Lisbon, Ohio.

Donations in honor of Father Fata could be made to: St. Luke’s Parish, Ursuline Sisters, or Ursuline High School.

View Father Fata’s memorial webpage and send condolences to the family online at www.dawsonfuneralhome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joseph A Fata, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.

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