Msgr. Joseph M. Mayo celebrates 50th jubilee

IC photo/Marie Mischel

Photo 1 of 2

(Above) Virginia Albo greets Msgr. Joseph M. Mayo following the Nov. 26 Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine during which he celebrated his 50th anniversary of priesthood.

SALT LAKE CITY — The 11 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine on Nov. 26 was an occasion to celebrate not only the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, but also to honor Monsignor Joseph M. Mayo on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of priesthood.

Msgr. Mayo presided at the Mass. Concelebrating were Fr. Martin Diaz, the cathedral rector; and Father Jaya Kumar Penugonda, parochial vicar. Deacon John Kranz assisted.

A native of Utah, Msgr. Mayo attended the Cathedral School and the Bishop Glass School, and graduated from Judge Memorial Catholic High School with the Class of 1965. He went to the University of Utah for one year before going to St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, and then to Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon. He was ordained a priest on Nov. 23, 1973 by the Most Rev. Joseph L. Federal, sixth Bishop of Salt Lake.

At the end of his homily, after preaching on Christ the King, Msgr. Mayo thanked those present for joining him in celebrating his 50 years of priesthood, “which I began in this cathedral so long ago,” and “as I salute the past and look forward to the days ahead.”

In comments at the end of Mass, Fr. Diaz lauded Msgr. Mayo for helping to create The Madeleine Choir School and the Good Samaritan Program, and said that the jubilarian “continues to work tirelessly for this cathedral and all of its ministries.”

During his years as a diocesan priest, Msgr. Mayo ministered at many parishes and held a variety of positions, among them associate pastor, pastor, member of the diocesan building committee, member of the Judge Memorial CHS finance board, chaplain of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Wasatch Deanery, superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools, rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, defender of the Bond for the Tribunal, diocesan consultor, and trustee for the Catholic Foundation of Utah. He was named a Prelate of Honor to His Holiness with the title of monsignor on Nov. 5, 2008. He retired on Aug. 1, 2017.

Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus of the diocese, said he and Msgr. Mayo have been friends for many years. “He served my Mass of Thanksgiving after Ordination, and I have been close to his family over the years. Msgr. [Mayo] has been the Good and Faithful Servant over his 50 years of priesthood. He has been asked to accept difficult assignments and he has accepted them, using his many talents as best he could to serve generously.”

Serving at the cathedral was Msgr. Mayo’s favorite assignment, Msgr. Fitzgerald said, and “he worked hard to make the mother church of the diocese financially stable. He initiated the annual Bishop’s Dinner [fundraiser], which has proven to be very successful. He continues to work on behalf of the cathedral and choir school during his retirement.

“Monsignor is supportive of his brother priests and is a favorite among them,” Msgr. Fitzgerald continued. “He loves to travel the world and is an expert at what is happening in the city and who the significant players are.”

In an email interview with this newspaper, Msgr. Mayo said that as he considers the 50-year milestone, he thinks “of standing on the shoulders of all those who have preceded me. This includes all of the priests who were my pastors, and others who were true leaders who made possible the legacy that we have today. Parish life, schools, hospital work and teaching were all very much a part of the examples that others gave to me, and countless parishioners who were solidly examples of faith that gave me memories that I treasure to this day.”