Congratulations to Father James Daprile, retired diocesan priest and pastor emeritus of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Aurora, on 50 years in the priesthood.
Father Daprile was born in 1949 in Youngstown to Jim and Mary Lou Gemma Daprile—the oldest of 13 children. He grew up at St. Christine Parish, where his parents were among the founding parishioners. He attended the parish school and went on to Ursuline High School for two years.
He transferred to the minor seminary, St. Gregory in Cincinnati, where he finished high school and continued there for college, earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in philosophy. Progressing to the major seminary, Mount St. Mary in Cincinnati, he graduated in 1976 with a master’s in biblical studies.
Ordained in 1976 by Bishop James Malone, he was first assigned as associate pastor for St. Joseph in Ashtabula—now part of Our Lady of Peace Parish—where he served until he was assigned in 1978 as associate pastor at St. Joseph in Alliance. He was assigned the next year to St. Patrick in Kent—now part of St. Katherine Drexel Parish.
In 1983, Father Daprile became chaplain at Walsh College, now Walsh University, where he also taught as a member of the adjunct faculty. While at Walsh, he assumed the additional duties of chaplain at St. Joseph Hospice in Louisville—now St. Joseph Senior Living. In 1991, he was named diocesan director of campus ministry. Around this time he also began doctoral studies in theology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, which he completed around 2005.
In 1995, he was appointed to a full time teaching position at Mount St. Mary Semariny in Cincinnati.
Father Daprile returned to the diocese in 2000, becoming pastor of St. Brendan in Youngstown—now part of St. Mary Magdalene Parish. With the growing number of Hispanic families, he started a Mass in Spanish. During that time, he also served as a board member for InterFaith Home Maintenance Services and on the City of Youngstown’s Housing Code Task Force.
During a sabbatical in 2009—with the help of a Lilley Foundation grant—he made a pilgrimage in Ireland, following the path of the parish patron, Saint Brendan. Because the Lilley Foundation wished to benefit the parish as well as the pastor, the same grant arranged for a course in Celtic Christianity at the parish. He also made the 500-mile pilgrimage to Camino de Santiago, Spain, a traditional pilgrimage depicted in the 2010 Martin Sheen film, The Way. Before making the pilgrimage, Father Daprile and parishioners made a point of going for walks in Mill Creek Park. While he was making the pilgrimage, many of the parishioners continued walking in Mill Creek in solidarity with his pilgrimage. In addition, Father Daprile pursued painting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the grant arranged for a bus to take parishioners to the Cleveland Museum of Art for a tour.
After his sabbatical, Father Daprile returned to St. Brendan, where he remained until he was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Aurora. As pastor, he worked with parishioners to enhance the liturgical and aesthetic surroundings, and initiated a family-based faith formation program.
He retired in 2019 but occasionally assists at various parishes. He has earned his doctorate from Duquesne, in Roman Catholic systematic theology, received a certificate in multi-cultural training and awareness from the Mexican American Cultural Center in San Antonio, Texas, he taught in the diocesan permanent diaconate program and has served as a Catholic chaplain at the Chautauqua Institution in New York State and for the last three years president for the Catholic community at the Chautauqua Institution. He continues to paint and serves as a docent at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Anyone wishing to offer congratulations to Father Daprile can do so at jmdaprile@gmail.com.
