Obituary of Fr. James T. Vacco, OFM

Fr. James Vacco, 70, passed away on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Friary in Pulaski, Wisconsin. A beloved educator, pastor and counselor, he served as a Franciscan friar for 48 years and a priest for 43 years.

Born on December 28, 1954, in Buffalo, New York, to the late Vito and Lucy (née Carnevale) Vacco. His family operated a fruit and vegetable farm south of Buffalo in the townships of North Collins, Brant and Eden. Fr. James attended Immaculate Conception School in Eden, New York, and graduated from St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, New York. He earned his undergraduate degree from St. Bonaventure University (1976) and a graduate degree from Washington Theological Union (1982).

Fr. James entered the Order of Friars Minor in Brookline, Massachusetts, on June 23, 1977, and made his first profession there the following year, on June 10, 1978. He took his solemn vows in New York City on June 20, 1981, and was ordained as a priest in Silver Spring, Maryland on May 15 1982. His initial role was providing summer assistance in Croghan, New York in 1978. In 1979, while at St. Patrick friary in Buffalo, New York, he spent one year training as a chaplain student at Erie City Medical (CPE). Afterwards, he began an internship as an alcohol rehabilitation counselor at St. Joseph Addiction Treatment and Recovery Center in Saranac Lake, New York.

Fr. James began his service in Croghan as a deacon intern and associate pastor from 1981 to 1982. He then moved to Buffalo, where he worked as a religion teacher and guidance counselor in Bishop Timon High School until 1985. Between 1985 and 1992, he was a parochial vicar at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Allegany, New York. Following this role, he served as guardian and pastor at Our Lady Queen of Peace in West Milford, New Jersey from 1992 to 1995. From 1995 to 1999, he became director at the Newman Center in Fredonia, New York  while simultaneously beginning a 12-year part-time position as chaplain at Mercy Hospital, Buffalo

     He later returned to St. Bonaventure University as a campus minister. During his time there, he also served three years on the Council of Priests for the Diocese of Buffalo. In 2008, he briefly took on the role of temporary administrator at St. John Parish in Olean, New York.

In 2010, Fr. James served for two months at St. Francis Church in Paddington, Australia. In 2011, he became the temporary administrator of St. Philomena Parish in Franklinville, New York, appointed by the Diocese of Buffalo. From 2014 to 2022, he held various positions at St. Bonaventure University, including regional vocation assistant, pastor in residence at the university friary and vicar forane of the Southern Cattaraugus Vicariate. At that time Fr. James taught homiletics at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY for 5 years

He was assigned to the U.S. 6 interprovincial postulancy program at Holy Name College in Silver Spring in 2022. He became pastor at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Pulaski in 2024, a return to service in a rural community much like the one he began his Franciscan ministry with in Croghan.

Fr. James is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Vincent and Louise Vacco, his nephew Jay (Mollie) Vacco and his niece, Danielle (Nick) Quinones and 6 grandnephews and one grandniece and by his brother friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Besides his parents Vito and Lucy, Fr. James is predeceased by a brother William Vacco.

Visitation for Fr. James will be held at the Immaculate Conception Church on Friday, January 2, 2026 from 12:00PM – 4:00PM and 6:00PM-9:00PM, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial held Saturday, January 3, 2026 at 11:00AM in Immaculate Church, 8791 S. Main St. Eden, NY. Burial will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery in Angola, NY.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Vito and Lucy Vacco Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of the St. Frances High School.
Words of sympathy may be left on www.LaingFuneralHome.com