This evening I read the following post on Bishop Robert Lynch’s blog, For His Friends, about a local priest who died today while celebrating Mass. It truly is a beautiful story.

Monsignor John Scully | Credit: Diocese of St. Petersburg

I have just received word that Monsignor John Scully, a priest for sixty-two years of this diocese (and St. Augustine for twenty years prior to our formation) died this morning while concelebrating the morning Mass at St. Stephen’s parish in Valrico. The exact moment of his death occurred during the Institution prayers of the Mass or the “consecration” of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus. It was precisely how he wished to go and would have scripted it had we any power over the time of our death. Monsignor Scully did so many things during his sixty-two years of priesthood, started parishes (St. Catherine’s, Largo and St. Michael’s, Clearwater (both named after his own mother and father) to name but two, schools and institutions.

Since he has designated me as the Principal Celebrant and Homilist at his funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s in Spring Hill, the last parish he was to pastor, I need time to think of this man’s accomplishments and place them in the context of the priestly life which he lived. I will see that a text of the homily I deliver at his funeral is placed here and the Diocese will give you much more biographical information later today. They are busy about attending to his wishes for his death. He will be buried in his beloved Boston where he was born and raised, next to his parents sometime later next week, most likely. The news came quickly and somewhat unexpectedly this morning so we are busy about many things in light of his death.

Read the entire article here.