Father Vincent Marinaro at his 87th birthday party in October 1966 at St. Michael's School. Marinaro had been the pastor at St. Michael church since 1909.

From 1909 when he formed St. Michael the Archangel parish until his death in 1969, Father Vincent Marinaro was a legend in Butler's South Side neighborhood.

“He was a great leader and he was well respected,” said Anthony Grenci, who was a teenage altar boy at St. Michael church and served at Marinaro's funeral Mass. “He was someone people took seriously.”

Steve Sybert, who also served as an altar boy at the funeral, said Marinaro was known and respected for helping the South Side's immigrant families. While he provided anything necessary for Belgian, French and other immigrants, he was particularly accommodating to the new Italian families.

Sybert said Marinaro founded St. Michael church in 1909 at a small wooden church on Spring Street. When the congregation grew, the current St. Michael was born.

“In 1948, they built the nice church on Center Avenue,” Sybert said. “Father Marinaro was instrumental in building that church.”

He recalled his interaction as a boy with the revered priest, who was a legend in the homes on and around Center Avenue.

“He was all business at times and jovial at times,” Sybert recalled. “He was a strict man, I remember, but he was also fun.”

One prized memory Sybert will always hold dear is the sight of the octogenarian Marinaro, donning his official priest garb, asking Sybert and his friends for a turn at the plate during a game of whiffle ball in the church parking lot.

“He would walk up in his black cassock and we would pay our respects to him and then we would pitch him the whiffle ball,” Sybert said. “Back then, as kids, you had great respect for those priests and he was one of them.”

Sybert recalls that being one of the older altar boys, he was asked to participate in Marinaro's funeral, which was attended by Bishop Vincent M. Leonard and other diocesan officials.

“Being a 14-year-old kid, it was a big deal,” Sybert said of serving in the special Mass.

He said although he was honored to help give Marinaro a fitting send-off, he remembers he and his altar boy friends were to return to school after the funeral.

“We played hooky the rest of the day,” Sybert said.

Grenci said he was also honored to serve as an altar boy during the funeral Mass of Marinaro.

“Obviously, we were sad to see him go,” Grenci said.