Father Terzo Vinci, S.A.C.

Father Terzo Vinci, S.A.C., who served as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Yonkers for 30 years, died Feb. 4 at St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers. He was 82.

“He did a lot of things for a lot of people. He was very fatherly. This was the legacy he left,’’ said Father Christopher Salvatori, S.A.C, who served with Father Vinci at Our Lady of Mount Carmel for 14 years.

“He was a very generous person. If you wanted something, he’d give it to you.”

Before becoming pastor of the Yonkers parish in 1986, Father Vinci served at Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in East Harlem, first as parochial vicar, 1965-1968, and then as pastor, 1975-1986.

He also served at parishes in Malone, where he was a pastor, and Schenectady in the Diocese of Albany.

Father Vinci was a concelebrant at the Mass celebrated by Cardinal John O’Connor to mark the 75th anniversary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Yonkers in 1990. He also was known for taking an active role in the Yonkers community, serving as the chaplain for the Sons of Italy, Columbus League and the Columbus Day Committee. He was grand marshal of the 1994 Columbus Day Parade in Yonkers.

“He taught me to be a hard-working, dedicated priest and to always be available for people in person or on the phone,” Father Salvatori said. “He didn’t want to ignore or disregard anyone. He’d always say ‘yes’ and never say ‘no’ to anyone.”

Father Vinci, who was fluent in Italian, Spanish and English, hosted a religious radio program on the Italian Communications Network for over 30 years.

Born in Rocca Priora in the Rome province of Italy, he studied for the priesthood at Gregorian and St. John Lateran universities there. He was ordained a priest for the Pallottine Fathers in 1958 in Rome and came to the United States a few years later.

Father Vinci is survived by two brothers in Italy, Quinto and Terenzio.

A Funeral Mass was offered Feb. 9 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Burial was at Rocca Priora in Rome.