Michael J. Ripton

Conesus - The Reverend Michael John Ripton+ Catholic priest of the Old Catholic Church died on March 22, 2022 in Conesus New York.

He was pre-deceased by both parents and his birth mother, Erma Schu. She held him for four months when he was adopted by Loretta Mary and Michael Henry Ripton, Jr. He attended Aquinas Institute and St. John Fisher College, earning a degree in history. After college, he married Kathleen Toole and had two children: Elizabeth Regina Ripton and Susan Kathleen Ripton. He worked for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and was responsible for all PA-owned historic sites and museums. He was assigned to research and restore the US Brig NIAGARA, an 1883 tall ship berthed in Erie, PA. Upon retirement he entered the bishop's seminary in Clarksville, Tennessee and looked to fulfill a life-long dream of becoming a priest. He was accepted as a late vocation, because he had completed most theology and philosophy courses previously. He was ordained to the priesthood on November 5, 2001. His first assignments were the conducting of retreats for priests and laymen and gave a series of spiritual lectures throughout the United States. Eventually he became the pastor of St. Boniface-Martyr in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. He loved his parishioners and delighted in saying Mass with them every day. He was particularly devoted to the Holy Scriptures which he taught at the parish and nearby retirement homes. He was a veteran of the New York Army National Guard, the National Army Reserves, being honorably discharged from both units. He was also elected Rear Commodore of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and served as an active member for 25 years.

Calling Hours will be held on Sunday, March 27th from 2-4 PM at Newcomer Funeral Home at 2636 Ridgeway Ave. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 AM on Monday, March 28th at St. Boniface Church at 330 Gregory Street. Father Michael's burial will follow mass at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.