Msgr. Charles F. Zanotti

Msgr. Charles F. Zanotti, who served as pastor and senior priest administrator at St. Joseph’s parish in Glasco for 30 years, died Jan. 29 at Cardinal O’Connor Residence in the Bronx. He was 89.

Cardinal Dolan celebrated the Funeral Mass on Feb. 3 at St. Joseph’s Church in Glasco. Father Christopher Berean, pastor of St. Mary of the Snow-St. Joseph delivered the homily.

Msgr. Zanotti was named pastor of St. Joseph’s in 1984 and served in that role until 2002, when he was name senior priest administrator. He retired in 2014.

“It was his only parish as a pastor and he loved it here,” said Father Berean, who knew Msgr. Zanotti for 30 years. “The parishioners loved him as well. As he got older, they took care of him. Every day, someone would pick him up and take him to Mass and for his newspaper and coffee. They really took care of a man who took care of them. We’re all quite sad at his loss.

“He’s truly at peace and in heaven.”

Father Berean recalled two stories showing Msgr. Zanotti’s generosity. He remembered mentioning the good chocolates in Belgium before Msgr. Zanotti visited family there. Msgr. Zanotti returned from his trip with boxes of chocolate.

Msgr. Zanotti was in Cuba for a papal visit and brought back Cuba’s top cigars for Father Berean.

“He would not take money for them,” Father Berean said. “He would do generous things. You would not ask, he would just do them. He loved this parish and was part of the town the same way.”

Msgr. Zanotti served as parochial vicar at St. Mary and St. Andrew, Ellenville, 1982-1984; Mount Carmel-St. Benedicta, Staten Island, 1979-1982; St. Luke’s, Bronx, 1970-1979; St. Joseph’s, Staten Island, 1968-1970; Holy Rosary, Manhattan, 1965-1968; and St. Michael’s, Staten Island, 1953-1965.

Msgr. Zanotti studied Spanish while serving at Holy Rosary and later celebrated weekly Masses in Spanish and served the Spanish-speaking community until his final days.

Born in Trent, Italy, he moved with his family to New York City in 1930, attended All Hallows High School in the Bronx and studied for the priesthood at Cathedral College and St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1953 and named a monsignor by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

Msgr. Zanotti trained and mentored altar boys, and worked with college students, the Daughters of Mary, hospital patients and other community members. He assisted in coordinating the visit of Pope Paul VI to Yankee Stadium in 1965, and was chaplain to the Fort Apache Police Precinct and Lincoln Hospital, both in the Bronx.

He is survived by his brother, Frank Zanotti. Burial was at St. Mary of the Snow Cemetery in Saugerties.