All Saints parishioners cry out over forced retirement of beloved priest: “No, no, noooo!”

Syracuse, N.Y. — About 100 parishioners filled the pews at All Saints Church Saturday as the Rev. Fred Daley told them the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse had decided to replace him with a younger priest.

“The bishop is grateful for my service of 18 years here at All Saints, but feels it would be beneficial for a new pastor, one younger than 79, to take this position,” Daley said during the 4 p.m. Mass.

Many parishioners loudly responded, “No, no, noooo!”

A few even cried as Daley reassured them that the church’s mission of acceptance, justice and loving service would continue.

One man stood up and thanked Daley and the church for accepting him as a gay man and helping him find his way back to God. He has been attending the church for about 17 years.

Bishop Douglas Lucia is expected to speak to leaders privately at All Saints on Monday. Parishioners are planning a half hour of silent prayer, starting at 6:45 p.m. Monday before the bishop arrives.

Some parishioners Saturday said they are waiting to hear directly from him, amid numerous theories about why the diocese abruptly changed its plans.

“All of a sudden to hear that Fred was being literally forced to retire was more than disheartening,” said Dave Pasinski, a parishioner at St. Lucy’s Church who has known Daley since 1966. “I think a lot of us are bouncing between the two poles of sadness and anger.”

Katie Clinton, who has attended All Saints for 15 years, said she fears Daley’s departure could drive away marginalized people who have found a welcoming community there. She worries they will leave quietly while other Catholics voice opposition to the parish’s progressive views to the bishop.

“Father Fred is the definition of the word Catholic,” Clinton said. “If you look it up, it means inclusive. Father Fred, at his core, embraces that, and he is just such a beacon of light and hope.”

Daley said he was shocked by the decision, which came during a meeting with Lucia on Wednesday afternoon. Given his continuing good health, he said, he “certainly had no intention to retire.”

Under church canon law, priests are expected to submit a retirement letter at age 75, but the bishop decides when to accept it.

“I’m sure whatever lies ahead,” Daley said, “I’ll continue to have fun with all of us working for justice, peace and causing good trouble.”

He urged parishioners to remain focused on faith and love, repeating throughout Mass, “If it’s not about love, then it’s not about God.”

Daley also told parishioners about his forced retirement at the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass. When he thanked the community for its love and support, Daley’s voice cracked and he stopped to breathe.

Parishioners rose to their feet and filled the silence with applause.

The decision to remove Daley left parishioners confused about the sudden change in the diocese’s plans for All Saints and another Syracuse church, St. Lucy’s.

In September, the bishop approved a plan for Daley to take interim leadership of St. Lucy’s, where the Rev. James Mathews is retiring.

But just two months later, in a letter to the public Thursday, Lucia said the Rev. John Manno would instead lead both parishes beginning Jan. 2, following the retirements of Daley and Mathews. Manno is the priest at Holy Family Church in Fairmount and St. Marianne Cope parish in Solvay.

The diocese’s plan calls for three weekend Masses across the two churches, St. Lucy’s and All Saints. The churches will share staff and programs.

Manno will work with parishioners at both churches on the Costello Project, an initiative aimed at sustaining and revitalizing Catholic ministry in marginalized Syracuse neighborhoods, including the East Side, Near West Side and South Side.

Parishioners said they believe Manno is a good man and priest but do not understand what led to the change.

“The parish, as a community of God, will continue to serve people,” Pasinski said. “But we can’t ignore the way this was done, the personal hurt, the disrespect for Fred and disrespect for our Costello committee that’s worked on this plan for three years.”

Lucia said in his letter that the changes are part of a broader reorganization of the diocese, which has been grappling with declining numbers of Catholics and priests for decades. His plan calls for neighboring parishes across Central New York to share pastors, staff and programs, with coordinated Mass schedules.

Diocese spokesperson Danielle Cummings said the decision was based on Daley’s age and the need for a long-term transition plan for inner-city churches, not his politics.

“If it was motivated by that, it would have happened 18 years ago,” she said.

Daley, who is openly gay, has long challenged conservative Catholic norms. All Saints has an LGBTQ+ Task Force, a Transgender Family Support Group and a group for gay, nonbinary and transgender Catholics who have felt ostracized at other churches.

The church displays banners supporting Black lives and immigrants, including Congolese parishioners who attend Mass to hear a choir sing in their familiar language.

Daley has also supported parishioners caught up in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. He and others have advocated for immigrants detained by ICE, helping secure their release.

The church has also faced criticism from conservative Catholics over its political activities. In late September, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke at a campaign rally at All Saints.

LifeSite, a conservative Catholic news site, criticized the church for hosting Ocasio-Cortez, who supports abortion rights, arguing her political views contradict Catholic teachings.

Hundreds of people called the diocese to complain after Ocasio-Cortez’s visit, Cummings said. Daley apologized during Mass, and All Saints added its policy on political activities in churches to its website.

During his homily Saturday, Daley made reference to the controversy, saying, “We don’t talk politics here, but I think there was an election on Tuesday night.”

Parishioners immediately stood up, clapping and cheering.

Later in the homily, Daley reminded the congregation that the church is bigger than any one priest and assured them that together, they could carry on the mission of All Saints.

“If All Saints and St. Lucy’s are all about Fred Daley and Jim Mathews, then we haven’t done a very good job of preaching that we are all the church,” he said. “We are all the church. One plants the seed; another nourishes the plant and helps it grow.”

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