Chelsea – More than 300 people participated in a 45th Anniversary Mass on Wednesday February 27, 2013 at St. Joseph’s Church in Dexter, MI, in honor of Fr. Fortunato Turati, SdC., and Fr. Joseph Rinaldo, SdC., who were both ordained in Italy in December 1967. A reception immediately followed in the parish hall, and was hosted by the 4th Degree of the Knights of Columbus.
The event presented an opportunity for Fr. Fortunato’s many friends to say goodbye, as he recently accepted a transfer to Mt. St. Joseph in Lake Zurich, Ill, a residential care facility for women with developmental disabilities run by the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence.
During the reception, several speakers celebrated the contributions of these two great priests over the years, and the crowd bid their fond farewells to Fr. Fortunato for his many years of service to the Knights of Columbus 4th Degree, Legatus International, Huron Valley Catholic School, Fr. Gabriel Richard High School, and the Pious Union of St. Joseph in Grass Lake.