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Rev. Cheatham remembered for his compassion and gentle humor

By Frances Borsodi Zajac fzajac@heraldstandard.Com 5 min read
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The Rev. Louis Cheatham is being remembered as a good man with a warm sense of humor who earned the respect of his peers and parishioners by the compassion he showed to others.

Cheatham, 94, died Tuesday at Mount Macrina Manor in Uniontown. He was the oldest priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg where he served for more than 50 years, including 16 years as pastor of St. Peter Parish in Brownsville.

“He was a priest’s priest,” said the Rev. James Petrovsky, senior priest active at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, western Fayette County, who was a friend and frequently golfed with Cheatham.”He had a very great affection for the people, especially for St. Peter’s and the people there.”

“Father Cheatham was very, very much a people person,” said Norma Ryan, a lifelong member of St. Peter, who co-chaired the parish’s 1995 sesquicentennial celebration. “He loved people. He was a tremendous pastor of the flock. He was so down to earth. He would be right in there, doing whatever had to be done.”

“More than a pastor, he was a friend. He was there for the parishioners,” said Linda Ritzo, who was Cheatham’s secretary for 16 years and a member of St. Peter since 1973.

“He was very humble,” said parishioner Albert Dascenzo, who was president of the parish council and on the school board. “He would do anything for anyone.”

According to information released by the diocese, Cheatham was born Dec. 27, 1919 in Edgefield, S.C., a son of the late Louis W. and Margaretta Wellmore Cheatham. The family moved to Baltimore when he was three and he attended Catholic primary and secondary schools and earned undergraduate degrees at St. Charles Preparatory College in Catonsville, Md., and St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from St. Mary’s in 1945.

Cheatham was ordained to the priesthood on March 17, 1945 by the late Archbishop Michael J. Curley at the Basilica of the Assumption Cathedral in Baltimore. He served 13 years in the Archdiocese of Washington and then a six-year appointment in Verdun near Montreal, Canada, before beginning his ministry in the Greensburg diocese in 1964. He was incardinated here in 1971.

Cheatham, who also spoke Latin, German and French, served several parishes in the diocese. His last assignment was pastor of the Historic Church of St. Peter in Brownsville and its former chapel in Newell from 1979 until his retirement in June 1995.

While Cheatham was pastor, St. Peter was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the parish marked the 240th anniversary of the first Mass celebrated in the Brownsville area and the 150th anniversary of the church building.

Ryan said the Rev. Edward Higgins, former pastor, did the paperwork for the church’s historic application but noted that Cheatham was very proud of the church for being recognized.

“We know the church is about faith and people but he respected the historic significance of it and the people who built the church,” Ryan said.

She noted during the sesquicentennial Cheatham “was right there with us in everything he did. He came up with a lot of ideas.”

Many spoke of Cheatham’s compassion towards others.

Ritzo said, “A lot of people came to the parish in need. Several times, I saw Father dive into his own pocket. I asked him ‘How do you know what they’re going to do with the money?’ He said, ‘It’s not up to me to judge; it’s up to me to provide.’ He gave selflessly all the time I knew him. I never saw a priest more compassionate or caring.”

Billie Winwood, a lifelong parishioner, said, “As a priest, he was wonderful. As a person, he is one of the most compassionate and respected men I’ve met.”

She noted, “If someone came along who needed something, he gave it. He never took it out of the church’s pocket, it was always his. He cared. He was one of those people who really cared.”

Cheatham’s sense of humor is also something people remember.

“He had a droll wit,” said Ritzo.

“He felt free to laugh at his own jokes. He was comfortable with himself — maybe that’s what we all need to be.”

Winwood said, “His humor was always at his own expense — nobody else’s. It was always gentle.”

Even after he left Brownsville, Cheatham kept in touch.

“He was a very dedicated, wonderful priest,” said Irene Mariscotti, a 30-year member of the church. “He even took part in activities at our church long after he retired.”

Cheatham retained his love for the area, keeping in contact with parishioners, sometimes stopping for visits and choosing Brownsville for his final resting place.

As word of Cheatham’s death reached the area, parishioners spoke respectfully of the priest who was their friend.

Jeanie Samol, another lifelong member of the church whose mother was Cheatham’s housekeeper and aunt was his cook, said, “He was just an amazing priest. He lived a good life. He’ll be missed.”

A viewing will be held Thursday, Dec. 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Peter. His funeral Mass will be celebrated there Friday, Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. with Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt as celebrant and homilist. Cheatham will be buried in Historic St. Peter Cemetery on the parish grounds.

“We feel honored he will be viewed here. I think the love he had for Brownsville is proven by the fact he wanted to come home,” Ryan said of Cheatham’s burial wishes.

“I think he felt this was home.”

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