Father Philip P. Pritt - Bishop Nelson Perez will be the celebrant at the 11 a.m. Feb. 10 funeral Mass at St. Matthias Church, 1200 W. Sprague Road, Parma, for Father Philip P. Pritt. Father Ray Sutter will be the homilist.
Bishop Martin Amos will preside at vespers at 3 p.m. Feb. 9 at St. Matthias. He also will be the homilist. Father Pritt?s wake will continue at the church until 6 p.m.
Father Pritt, 83, died Feb. 3. He was pastor emeritus of St. Anne Parish in Rittman.
He was the son of the late Paul and Frances Pritt. He was educated at St. Joseph School, Cuyahoga Falls; St. Vincent High School, Akron; St. Gregory Seminary, Cincinnati; Borromeo College Seminary, Wickliffe and Saint Mary Seminary, Cleveland. Bishop John Whealon ordained him to the priesthood for services to the Diocese of Cleveland on May 19, 1962.
Father Pritt?s first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. William Parish, Euclid. He was transferred to St. Angela Merici Parish on June 21, 1969 to serve as parochial vicar. Father Pritt was assigned as parochial vicar at St. Jerome Parish, Cleveland, and was appointed associate director of the department of mental retardation on June 24, 1971. He was named director of the department on April 13, 1972 and served in that capacity until June 26, 1976. On May 25, 1976, he was appointed co-pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Litchfield and on Aug. 7, 1978, he was named co-pastor of St. Edward Parish in Ashland. In addition, he was assigned as Newman Campus Minister to Ashland College, and served until June 25, 1979. Father Pritt was named parochial vicar of Holy Family Parish, Stow, on Feb. 8, 1980. He became pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Macedonia on June 13, 1983, and on Sept. 2, 1992, he was named pastor of St. Anne, Rittman, where he served until his retirement on April 27, 2004.
Father Pritt was known as a people person and a good listener who was well-loved by those he served. He appreciated the reforms of Vatican II and modeled his priestly ministry accordingly.
Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Akron.
