Msgr. John R. Torney, 102, the oldest priest in the Diocese of Metuchen and its first vicar general, was remembered during his funeral liturgy May 17 in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Bernardsville, as a man of God with a gift for making everyone feel loved.

Msgr. Torney, pastor emeritus of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, who died May 13, had celebrated 74 years as a priest on May 3. He had served as associate pastor in St. Agnes Parish, Atlantic Highlands from 1939 to 1942 and in St. Rose of Lima Parish, Freehold, following his military service in World War II.

Bishop Paul G. Bootskoski was principal celebrant at the funeral Mass. Father A. Gregory Uhrig, who served three years as a parochial vicar with Msgr. Torney in the 1980s, gave the homily.

The night before the funeral, during a Mass of commemoration, Father Joseph J. Farrell, pastor of Assumption Parish, New Egypt, delivered a heartfelt homily.

Father Farrell, who had served as a parochial vicar with Msgr. Torney in 1973 and remained a good friend, began with a story about a prayer card he received at one of Msgr. Torney’s anniversary celebrations.

“On the back, it said simply, ‘There was a man sent from God named John.’ Of course, it refers to John the Baptist,” Father Farrell said. “But we know in our hearts that refers to John Torney.”

Father Farrell went on to explain how he believed that Msgr. Torney, “by his life and how he lived his life, revealed what God was really like, as well as the meaning of the word love.”

“He made us feel special, but most especially, he made us feel loved,” Father Farrell said, adding, “When you were in his presence, you felt as if you were the most important person in the world. Everyone walked away from him knowing that God loved them a little bit more.”

Born in New York City in 1910 to John and Laura Smith Torney, he attended P.S. 89 elementary school in Queens and Xavier High School, New York, where, he said, the seeds of his vocation to the priesthood were planted because of the many clerics, novices and aspirants there.

Also, he said, the chaplain in Xavier encouraged him personally in spiritual matters and challenged the students to attend Mass before classes began.

Msgr. Torney studied at Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y.; St. Charles Preparatory Seminary, Catonsville, Md.; and St. Mary Seminary, Roland Park, Md., where he graduated in 1939.

On May 3, 1939, Msgr. Torney was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Moses E. Kiley in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

After serving three years as associate pastor of St. Agnes Parish, Atlantic Highlands, he served as a chaplain in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946 ministering to “stevedores, truck drivers and railroad men,” while assigned to the Persian Gulf in the Service Supply Command.

Later, he served in France, ministering to the wounded in field hospitals and road camps. He was serving in Germany when the war ended.

After military service and two years of service in St. Rose of Lima Parish, Freehold, he was appointed administrator of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Bernardsville, and pastor there on Sept. 11, 1952. During his 38-year pastorate there, he oversaw the expansion of St. Elizabeth School, the parish elementary school.

On Sept. 15, 1977, he was named a prelate of honor with the title monsignor by Pope Paul VI.

He served in many capacities for the Metuchen Diocese including extraordinary minister of Confirmation; member, College of Consultors; chairman, Advisory Council/Financial Affairs; Member, Commission for Planning; dean of Retired Clergy; spiritual director, senior citizens; advocate, Tribunal and a member of the Priest’s Retirement Committee.

On Feb. 1, 1982, he began serving as the Diocese of Metuchen’s vicar general by appointment from then-Bishop, now Cardinal, Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington. In January 1984, then-Pope, now Blessed John Paul II conferred upon him the honorary title of Prothonotary Apostolic, the highest rank of monsignors.

A year later, then-Metuchen Bishop Edward T. Hughes asked Msgr. Torney for help with the project of building a residence for retired priests which would become the Maria Regina Residence in Somerset.

He retired on his 75th birthday on Oct. 16, 1985, as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish and from his position as vicar general. He would become the first resident of Maria Regina Residence in 1989.

Interment was at Holy Cross Cemetery, Basking Ridge.

Funeral arrangements were handled by Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, Basking Ridge­Bernardsville.

Compiled from articles by Joanne Ward, Editorin- Chief and Chris Donahue, Associate Editor, in the Catholic Spirit, the newspaper of the Metuchen Diocese.