Rev. Fr. Wilfredo Comellas

[This obituary is from Legacy.com.]

Reverend Wilfredo T. Comellas, 49, died Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013 at Ochsner St. Anne General Hospital, Raceland, La., after an illness.Father Comellas, son of Wilfredo Tomas and the late Justa A. Comellas, was born in Havana, Cuba, on April 16, 1964. His father, Wilfredo Tomas, a political prisoner of the communist government, was set free in 1971 and brought his family to the United States as part of the Cuban Freedom Flight Program. Father Comellas received his early education at St. Joan of Arc School, Jackson Heights, N.Y., and graduated from St. John’s Preparatory School, Astoria, N.Y. He then entered a two-year novitiate program with the Legion of Christ in Cheshire, Conn. He completed a degree in philosophy at Holy Apostles Seminary, Cromwell, Conn. Father graduated from St. John’s University, N.Y., with a B.A. in 1998 and completed his studies for the priesthood at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University, Orange, N.J., receiving his Master of Arts degree.He was ordained to the priesthood on June 28, 2003, in St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton, by the Most Rev. James C. Timlin, D.D., Bishop Emeritus of Scranton.

Father Comellas was assigned as assistant pastor at St. Ann’s Parish, Tobyhanna, with an additional assignment to the Hispanic Apostolate at Nativity of Our Lord Church, Scranton. Father was then appointed assistant pastor at Most Precious Blood Church, Hazleton, where he was later appointed administrator on Dec. 29, 2008. Father served as assistant pastor at St. Aloysius and St. Casimir, Wilkes-Barre, and Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Hanover Twp.

On Jan. 1, 2010, Father requested permission to serve in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, La. He served there as chaplain of the Most Blessed Sacrament Faith Community, Gibson, La., and celebrated the traditional Latin Rite Mass for the Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of the Heart of Jesus in Lockport, La. In September 2011 he also began teaching theology at Holy Savior School in Lockport.

Father Comellas was instrumental in establishing the Latin Mass congregation on the North Shore at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Lacombe, La., in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, where Father Comellas also served as the chairman of Mysterium Fidei Mass Society.

He is survived by his father, Wilfredo Tomas Comellas Sr.; a brother, Leo M. Comellas; aunts and many cousins.

He was also preceded in death by his mother, Justa A. Comellas.

The wake will take place at the Chapel of the Dominican Monastery of the Heart of Jesus, Lockport, La., on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013, beginning at 5 p.m. with Solemn Vespers. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, at 11 a.m. at Holy Savior Church, Lockport, La. Interment will be in Holy Savior Parish Cemetery.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated on Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, at 7 p.m. by His Excellency, the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, at St. Ann’s Church, Tobyhanna.

The American people have a choice
In this our solemn quadrennial mess:
Socialist one, pro-abortion, smooth voice
Or number two, pro-abort, L-D-S.
The Evil Party loves contraception,
Makes it the role of employer to pay.
The Stupid Party has this conception:
Onanism’s great the free market way.
Each ticket boasts a Roman Catholic veep.
(Papistical votes ought not to be missed.)
One’s crude, gaffe-prone, a shadow from the deep.
Veep two is Randian, Objectivist.
     With blessings like these in democracy,
     I’ll take a good old Catholic Monarchy.

I rarely get very personal here or in anything I write. A small digression into the personal is, I believe, allowed from time to very long time.

As a little brother all my life, I’ve looked up (quite literally) to my older brother, Charlie. He’s a tuba player. As a child, I thought that was the neatest thing. In a way, I still do. Charlie’s tuba still haunts me, even though it’s been a while since I’ve heard him play. I can’t hear certain pieces of the orchestral repertoire without humming the tuba part, since I heard Charlie practice it for hours on end. It’s not uncommon that I catch myself humming the tuba parts to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, The Planets, or other fun ditties. Doubtless being subjected to such things from my youth explains something of my personal boisterousness, which religious life has (I hope) tempered somewhat.

As Charlie’s little brother, it was appropriate that, when I got musical myself, I would play the euphonium, which is probably easiest explained as a “little tuba.”

My euphonium mostly collects dust, but Charlie “made it” in the musical world, and I’m glad for him. So, even though I’m all grown up, I’ll do the little brother thing that used to drive my friends crazy. I’ll brag. You can find my big brother here:

• Rhythm & Brass web site — the performing group he’s in.
• Yahama Artist’s Page — with picture, bio, and even what kind of tuba he plays. If you’re interested, it’s a YFB-822 Custom F Tuba, 4/4 size.
• SmugMug Page — with lots of pictures of the group in recital.
• A YouTube Demo Video — It’s funny. It shows the group’s eclecticism and bizarre sense of humor.

Charlie’s wife, Marianne, is a flute player. And in case you’re wondering what happens when a flute player marries a tuba player, my niece turned out to be a violinist. Go figure.

Charles Villarrubia and his tuba