CRANBERRY TWP — Since the eighth grade, the Rev. Joseph Newell never doubted his decision to be a priest.

After 60 years of priesthood, Newell will celebrate his diamond jubilee with a thanksgiving Mass at noon, Oct. 30, at St. Ferdinand Church, where he has been an assistant pastor for 16 years.

He has been at St. Ferdinand longer than any other parish. He started there in 1989 at the age of 67. Newell was pastor of St. Therese of Lisieux in Munhall at the time, but he wanted a break from church administration.

"I wanted to focus more on the spiritual activities of the parish," said Newell, now 83 years old. That is why he asked Bishop Donald Wuerl if he could be an assistant pastor, also called a parochial vicar, in the diocese.

Wuerl, who was ordained a priest one year after Newell became a pastor for the first time, granted Newell's request and transferred him to St. Ferdinand. When he first moved there, his room was not ready yet and he slept in a guestroom.

"Some of the children (in the parish) thought I was living in a camper outside," he said.

Now he is settled in. Newell's office is filled with books, letters, awards and pictures. The weight of the paper on the desk could almost match the weight of the desk itself. His office is a testament to his lifelong vocation.

He first fell in love with the priesthood while growing up in Oakland a block and a half away from St. Paul Cathedral, where he was an altar server.

"I was attracted to the life of the priests," said Newell. "I decided in the eighth grade to make it my life's work."

Newell said his parents, Patrick and Bridget Newell, who came to Pittsburgh from Ireland in 1910, supported his decision.

"I never had a doubt about it since," Newell said.

In 60 years, he has grown into his faith, but does not pretend to fully understand it.

"Our religion is a lifetime study," he said. "You really never know it all. There's always more you can understand from its teachings.

"The more you understand, the happier you are in service."

Newell's journey through the Catholic faith crisscrosses the Pittsburgh area and is marked by many parishes dealing with the same issues.

Newell attended Central Catholic High School. After high school, he joined a program through St. Vincent College and Seminary, Latrobe, in which he studied priesthood for two years at Central Catholic and went to St. Vincent for six years.His classes went straight through the last three summers of his education, because the government rushed all seminary programs in the state to provide chaplains for World War II.He was ordained Nov. 4, 1945, at the St. Vincent Archabbey in Unity Township. Newell did not go to war, but instead began as an assistant pastor at St. Joseph in New Brighton, now called Holy Family."We say that a priest's first parish is his first love, and that was certainly true for me," Newell said.He served at St. Joseph for 6½ years and was impressed with how active the parishioners were."Of course, back then, I was young," he said. "I was active myself."He was then transferred to the Church of Resurrection in Brookline."It was another small town, where people were friendly and cooperative," he said, noting there were more priests at this parish, which led to a greater feeling of camaraderie.After four years with Resurrection, Newell went to St. Alphonsus in Wexford. It was 1956, and Wexford was still farming country."The people here worked hard and they prayed hard," he said, noting they generously donated produce to the church.Newell served five years in Wexford and another four with Annunciation parish, now part of the Incarnation of the Lord, in the North Side. Then, in 1965, he was appointed pastor of St. Charles in Donora, now part of Our Lady of the Valley parish.Up until then he had been assistant pastor. Newell said he was thrilled to become pastor, when he could be "free to exercise ideas in matters of spiritual leadership."He continued his position as pastor at St. Francis Xavier, now Risen Lord parish, in the North Side and St. Therese of Lisieux in Munhall, Allegheny County. He served for 10 years at each of these churches before becoming assistant pastor at St. Ferdinand."They say there's a difference between city folks and country folks,, but I found them both wonderful," said Newell.He added that he enjoyed each parish and always "felt a note of sadness when I received a letter from the bishop moving me to a new parish."Throughout his life, he has found parishes to be different, but also similar."There is the same spirit of warmth and love of God, a desire to cooperate to make good work known," Newell said.