Oldest Priest In NJ Archdiocese Celebrates 104th Birthday [VIDEO]

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A religious leader in North Jersey who has presided over more than 1,000 baptisms and weddings recently marked a big personal celebration of his own: turning 104-years-old.

Monsignor James Turro, the oldest priest in the Archdiocese of Newark, marked his 104th birthday with a week of celebrations surrounded by family, parishioners and well-wishers at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Park Ridge.

Turro – a Seton Hall University alum – has presided over nearly 900 baptisms and 400 weddings in Park Ridge alone during his career. He continues to provide a comforting presence in the town, with parishioners and visitors from across the country visiting him at the rectory.

Turro remains active in ministry, celebrating Mass, offering pastoral counsel and providing guidance to students from Our Lady of Mercy Academy.

The archdiocese provided some history about Turro’s background:

“Faith was central to Monsignor Turro’s life while growing up in Jersey City, where he attended St. Paul of the Cross Elementary School and St. Peter’s Prep. Partly inspired by two aunts, who were Sisters of Charity, he was ordained a priest in 1948 (after graduating from Seton Hall University) and began his ministry at Holy Trinity Church in Hackensack. After two years, he enrolled at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., earning a licentiate in sacred theology, followed by a licentiate in sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. He later joined the faculty of Immaculate Conception Seminary.”

Over his career, Turro has made many contributions to the community, the archdiocese reported:

“Monsignor Turro’s most significant impact came through his work as a seminary professor, forming generations of priests over 60 years and writing several books. The seminary library at Seton Hall University now bears his name. But throughout his academic career, he remained active in parish ministry, serving as weekend assistant at Our Lady of Mercy Church. There he became known for his concise homilies that rarely exceeded a single page.”

“I thought I’d like being a priest, but I didn’t know how much I would enjoy it until I actually put my hands to it,” Turro said, reflecting on his 104 years of life and 78 years of ministry.

“I never reached a point where I stopped to think, am I doing the right thing?” Turro said. “I felt God wanted me to be a priest, so I went ahead with it.”

When asked about his longevity and success in life, Turro pointed to a simple guiding principle: “Here I am, Lord, do with me what thou wilt.”

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