Fr. Joseph Ferrara
BERLIN - Father Joseph Raymond Ferrara, 73, a former pastor, teacher and Vicar for Clergy in the Diocese of Camden, died Dec. 8. He was 72.
Since 2019, he had been retired from active ministry.
Born July 11, 1951, in Philadelphia, Pa., Fr. Ferrara undertook studies at St. Francis seminary in Loretto, Pa., before being ordained a priest of the Diocese of Camden by Bishop George H. Guilfoyle on May 20, 1977.
For the first three decades of his ministry, he served at high schools throughout South Jersey, teaching religion at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, and Paul VI in Haddonfield, where he was also chairman of the Religion Department. He later became vice-principal at Saint James, Carneys Point, and Saint Joseph School, Hammonton.
In 2004, he was appointed the Diocese's vicar for clergy, a role in which he served until 2007.
He was pastor of Saint Katharine Drexel Parish, Egg Harbor Township (2000-2004); Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Berlin (2006-2009); Saint Simon Stock, Berlin (2009-2010), and Holy Trinity, Margate, where he served from 2010 until his retirement.
He was the son of the late Dorothy (nee Hutton) and Leonard Ferrara Sr., brother of Lori Fidanza (the late Joseph), Daniel Ferrara (Brenda) Jill Britton (George) and the late Leonard Ferrara Jr.
Camden Diocese Bishop Dennis Sullivan celebrated a Mass of Chrisian Burial Dec. 13 at St. Simon Stock Parish in Berlin. He was interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Berlin.
