Obituary: Father Edward M. Davey, oldest diocesan priest, 100 #Catholic – A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township for Father Edward M. Davey, the oldest priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, who died on Jan. 4 at Merry Heart Senior Care Services in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township. He turned 100 years old on Oct. 4, 2025. Born on Oct. 4, 1925, Father Davey was ordained a priest on April 22, 1953, by Archbishop Thomas Boland for St. Mary’s Benedictine Abbey in Morristown, N.J. He was incardinated into the Paterson Diocese on June 8, 1973. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. For the Paterson Diocese, Father Davey’s assignments included Our Lady of Consolation Parish and Our Lady of the Valley Parish, both in Wayne, N.J., and Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J. In 1980, he was named pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Newton, N.J., where he served for 19 years until his retirement in 1999. “I’m surprised I made it to 100. I never really thought about it. I take what comes along,” Father Davey, who was hard of hearing and was unable to drive, when he spoke to BeaconNJ.org for a story about his 100th birthday, which was posted on Oct. 4 last year. “I’m still here to do the work [of a priest]. I’m limited, of course.” Father Davey credited his longevity not to his diet, family history, or the exercise he did as a younger man, but to the daytime naps he took and to a practice that sustained him throughout his priesthood: constant prayer. “Prayer is the answer to most people’s problems. I’m successful because of prayer,” said Father Davey, who served as a priest for 72 years. “I pray for people and encourage them to pray, but I don’t tell them what to pray for.” Along with praying, Father Davey enjoyed concelebrating Mass on Sundays and Wednesdays for the Merry Heart community with Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Dominic Marconi of the Newark Archdiocese in New Jersey, and fellow retired resident priests. He was also a fan of the N.Y. Yankees. “I was inspired to become a priest by my parish priest. I thought a lot of him. He could work with young people. I thought that was great work,” Father Davey said. Visitation for Father Davey will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m., at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, followed by a 4 p.m. prayer service. Interment will follow the Mass of Christian Burial on Jan. 8 at St. Joseph Cemetery in Newton. Please send condolences for Father Davey to the attention of the Office of Clergy Personnel, c/o St. Paul Inside the Walls, 205 Madison Ave., Madison, N.J. 07940 Click here to read the BeaconNJ.org story about Father Davey’s 100th birthday. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township for Father Edward M. Davey, the oldest priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, who died on Jan. 4 at Merry Heart Senior Care Services in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township. He turned 100 years old on Oct. 4, 2025.

Born on Oct. 4, 1925, Father Davey was ordained a priest on April 22, 1953, by Archbishop Thomas Boland for St. Mary’s Benedictine Abbey in Morristown, N.J. He was incardinated into the Paterson Diocese on June 8, 1973.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

For the Paterson Diocese, Father Davey’s assignments included Our Lady of Consolation Parish and Our Lady of the Valley Parish, both in Wayne, N.J., and Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J. In 1980, he was named pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Newton, N.J., where he served for 19 years until his retirement in 1999.

“I’m surprised I made it to 100. I never really thought about it. I take what comes along,” Father Davey, who was hard of hearing and was unable to drive, when he spoke to BeaconNJ.org for a story about his 100th birthday, which was posted on Oct. 4 last year. “I’m still here to do the work [of a priest]. I’m limited, of course.”

Father Davey credited his longevity not to his diet, family history, or the exercise he did as a younger man, but to the daytime naps he took and to a practice that sustained him throughout his priesthood: constant prayer.

“Prayer is the answer to most people’s problems. I’m successful because of prayer,” said Father Davey, who served as a priest for 72 years. “I pray for people and encourage them to pray, but I don’t tell them what to pray for.”

Along with praying, Father Davey enjoyed concelebrating Mass on Sundays and Wednesdays for the Merry Heart community with Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Dominic Marconi of the Newark Archdiocese in New Jersey, and fellow retired resident priests. He was also a fan of the N.Y. Yankees.

“I was inspired to become a priest by my parish priest. I thought a lot of him. He could work with young people. I thought that was great work,” Father Davey said.

Visitation for Father Davey will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m., at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, followed by a 4 p.m. prayer service. Interment will follow the Mass of Christian Burial on Jan. 8 at St. Joseph Cemetery in Newton.

Please send condolences for Father Davey to the attention of the Office of Clergy Personnel, c/o St. Paul Inside the Walls, 205 Madison Ave., Madison, N.J. 07940

Click here to read the BeaconNJ.org story about Father Davey’s 100th birthday. 

Obituary: Father Edward M. Davey, oldest diocesan priest, 100 #Catholic –

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township for Father Edward M. Davey, the oldest priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, who died on Jan. 4 at Merry Heart Senior Care Services in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township. He turned 100 years old on Oct. 4, 2025.

Born on Oct. 4, 1925, Father Davey was ordained a priest on April 22, 1953, by Archbishop Thomas Boland for St. Mary’s Benedictine Abbey in Morristown, N.J. He was incardinated into the Paterson Diocese on June 8, 1973.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

For the Paterson Diocese, Father Davey’s assignments included Our Lady of Consolation Parish and Our Lady of the Valley Parish, both in Wayne, N.J., and Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J. In 1980, he was named pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Newton, N.J., where he served for 19 years until his retirement in 1999.

“I’m surprised I made it to 100. I never really thought about it. I take what comes along,” Father Davey, who was hard of hearing and was unable to drive, when he spoke to BeaconNJ.org for a story about his 100th birthday, which was posted on Oct. 4 last year. “I’m still here to do the work [of a priest]. I’m limited, of course.”

Father Davey credited his longevity not to his diet, family history, or the exercise he did as a younger man, but to the daytime naps he took and to a practice that sustained him throughout his priesthood: constant prayer.

“Prayer is the answer to most people’s problems. I’m successful because of prayer,” said Father Davey, who served as a priest for 72 years. “I pray for people and encourage them to pray, but I don’t tell them what to pray for.”

Along with praying, Father Davey enjoyed concelebrating Mass on Sundays and Wednesdays for the Merry Heart community with Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Dominic Marconi of the Newark Archdiocese in New Jersey, and fellow retired resident priests. He was also a fan of the N.Y. Yankees.

“I was inspired to become a priest by my parish priest. I thought a lot of him. He could work with young people. I thought that was great work,” Father Davey said.

Visitation for Father Davey will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m., at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, followed by a 4 p.m. prayer service. Interment will follow the Mass of Christian Burial on Jan. 8 at St. Joseph Cemetery in Newton.

Please send condolences for Father Davey to the attention of the Office of Clergy Personnel, c/o St. Paul Inside the Walls, 205 Madison Ave., Madison, N.J. 07940

Click here to read the BeaconNJ.org story about Father Davey’s 100th birthday.