August 23, 2023

By Nadia Smith       

Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti meeting with St. Pope John Paul II as the papal liaison for the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC).

Monsignor Dino Lorenzetti was a longtime friend of the Catholic Medical Association (USA), inspiring physicians with his sage spiritual advice for generations. He passed away last month on July 14, just 11 days shy of his 102 birthday. He was the oldest Catholic priest in the Diocese of Buffalo, New York at the time of his passing.

Msgr. Lorenzetti was the spiritual director for the Catholic Medical Association for over 20 years, from the ‘60s through the ‘80s.  He was also the papal liaison for the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations to both Pope St. Paul VI and Pope St. John Paul II. He even wrote a book based on his 20 years of writing for CMA’s medical journal, The Linacre Quarterly. The book called The Catholic Physician: Messages from the Spiritual Advisor, offers encouragement and inspiration to Catholic physicians and was published for his 100th birthday. He requested that 100% of the proceeds from the sales of this book be donated to CMA.

That was his third book. Msgr. Lorenzetti was in his early 90s when he wrote his first book, The Agony of Betrayal, which recounts how he had been swindled out of his entire $500,000 life savings by a friend who requested money for medical expenses but turned out to be a gambling addict that scammed him over the course of more than a decade. He had planned on donating the majority of that money to Catholic Charities and St. Bonaventure University.

He told The Buffalo News in a 2015 interview that he wrote the book as a way to help himself work through the resulting anger and give others hope.

“The only solution is not to carry that anger to the grave,” he said at the time. “I just hope that anyone who’s been deceived – and that’s almost everyone – that they won’t despair… The fact is this loss has enriched me spiritually, and I am grateful and excited and fascinated about the Lord taking care of me through all of this.”

Msgr. Lorenzetti is a native of Buffalo and a son of Italian immigrant parents. He graduated from Hutchinson Central High School and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, serving in Africa and Italy from 1941 to 1945. He studied at Christ the King Seminary at St. Bonaventure University and was ordained to the priesthood in 1953. He served under seven bishops and popes. He was also pastor of seven churches in the diocese serving the longest at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Orchard Park.

Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti with Missionaries of Charity Sister Mary Daniel, Dr. John O’brien’s sister.

It was there that CMA member Dr. John O’Brien and his family first met Msgr. Lorenzetti. The O’Briens all went to the parish grade school of Our Lady of Sacred Heart where he was pastor. He visited for family dinners, married two of the O’Brien siblings and played an instrumental role in Dr. O’Brien’s sister joining Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. He knew the saint from meeting her while they were both in Bombay, India to address the 1978 World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations Congress, where he and Mother Teresa were also award recipients.

Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti with St. Mother Teresa at the 1978 World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations Congress.

“He was a very gentle, humble, compassionate priest,” Dr. O’Brien said. “His homilies were fantastic, he was great in the confessional, and he started every Mass with, ‘Welcome all you beautiful people of faith.’ He was like Mother Teresa in that when you were with him, you had his complete attention. He was very faithful –– everyone loved him.”

Among other honors Msgr. Lorenzetti received were the Curé of Ars Award, the Bishop’s Medal, St. John Neumann Award, Judge John D. Hillery Foundation Award, and the Christopher Award from the Catholic Youth Organization. His name is also on the Wall of Honor at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park. And he was invested in the Franciscan Habit and was affiliated with the Holy Name Province.

He served as the director of the diocesan Family Life Office for many years, where he oversaw programs and educational resources for parents, children, young adults and the bereaved. During his 20 years with the office, he worked closely with Catholic physicians. Even though he retired at age 75, he remained in active ministry and writing books until the day he passed.

His long-time friend of 55 years, Fr. Richard Reina, gave the homily at his funeral Mass July 17 at St. John the Baptist Church in Kenmore, NY, where the principal celebrant was Bishop Michael W. Fisher and seven priest friends concelebrated.

Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti at his 100th birthday Mass of thanksgiving.

He noted that Msgr. Lorenzetti was a great pro-life advocate as well as the founder of the Head Start program in Western New York, that served disadvantaged children.

“Here we are 50 years later, and there are still five [Head Start] sites called Holy Cross in Western New York. He had the vision and was willing to take the risk,” he said. “Central to this great man has been the hospitality of his heart. He welcomed anyone and everyone into his heart. From the person living on the streets of the lower West Side of Buffalo to the rich and the famous. And everyone in between.”