Former St. Rose Priest Marks 55 Years of Service

The Rev. George Birge, the former pastor of St. Rose of Lima, was among 75 priests honored for their longevity in the priesthood Monday, Roman Catholic diocese officials said.

Birge, who is marking 55 years in the priesthood, was the former pastor at St. Rose in Newtown from 1986 to 1999.

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, along with six other bishops from Norwich, Bridgeport, Stamford, and Hartford, celebrated a Mass honoring priests from across the state, who are observing anniversaries, including 25, 50, 55, 60, and 65 years of priestly service. The Mass took place at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield on Monday.

After the Mass, the honorees attended a “Priests’ Day” lunch.

“The number of their years in service is a strong tribute to their perseverance,” Mansell said in a press release. “But every day in the life of a priest is a tremendous gift to the priest and to the Church, an extraordinary gift from God.”