We are followers of Jesus Christ living in joyful, loving fellowship within his Catholic Church through the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.
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Father John Cornelius, a retired priest of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, died on September 8, after suffering a stroke while hospitalized for treatment of the COVID infection. He was 72 years old.
Father Cornelius was the first priest for the Fellowship of St. Alban, when our Catholic community was founded. He was ordained a Catholic priest for the Ordinariate in the Diocese of Buffalo in January of 2013 and assigned by Monsignor Jeffrey Steenson, the first Ordinary of the Ordinariate, as pastoral administrator of the newly formed Fellowship of St. Alban (as the community was called then) in Rochester, New York.
His faithful service allowed the Fellowship to begin having regular Sunday Masses located at St. Alban's prior location in the old Good Shepherd Catholic church in Henrietta.
Because of health issues, Father Cornelius resigned from St. Alban's pastoral leadership in December of 2014 in order to enter retirement. He was later succeeded at St. Alban's by Fr. Jason Catania in 2015.
Before coming into the full communion of the Catholic Church, Father Cornelius served in ordained ministry for the Episcopal Church from 1990 until his retirement in 2010 while rector of the Episcopal parish in Warrensburg, New York.
His ministry assignments as an Episcopal priest included parishes in Florida, New York, Texas, and Rhode Island.
He is survived by Sharyl, his wife of nearly 42 years,
his three daughters, Virginia, Sarah, and Rebecca, and two grandchildren.
Please remember his family and all who mourn in your prayers.
In fraternal charity and compassion, St. Alban's parochial administrator Fr. Davis, and all Ordinariate priests, will offer three Masses for the blessed repose of the soul of Father Cornelius.
The Funeral Mass will take place on Monday September 13 at 11:00am at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cleburne, TX. Fr. Christopher Stainbrook will be celebrating the Mass, assisted by Fr. Scott Wooten.
Expressions of sympathy or cards may be sent to:
Sharyl Cornelius
6109 Pecan Cir.
Alvaredo, TX 76009
