Reverend Edward A Collins Jr

Reverend Edward A. Collins Jr.of Paterson N.J.(St. Joseph's Hospital ,Coordinator of Chaplains) passed away suddenly at his home on May 8, 2014 at the age of 71. Reception of his body will be at 1:30pm at Saint Peter the Apostle Church 179 Baldwin Road Parsippany NJ on Monday May 12. Public visiting will begin in the church at 2pm to 4pm and 7 to 9pm. Evening prayers will begin at 7:30pm during the visitation. His funeral mass will begin at 11am on Tuesday morning. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Paterson. Father Ed was the loving son of Edward and Ruth Collins. Dear brother of William (his wife Elizabeth) Colllins and Mrs. Frances Visicaro (her late husband Thomas) and the late Daniel Collins. Uncle of Christopher Collins, Timothy Collins, Ruth Eldred, Thomas Visicaro Jr., John Visicaro, Daniel Collins Jr., Dora Valentine, Jennifer, Jessica, Jason and Katie Collins. Grand uncle of many and great grand uncle of a young boy and a young girl. Father Ed, a native of Newark, was graduated from Seton Hall University ,South Orange and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington. Bishop Lawrence Casey ordained him to the priesthood on May 25, 1968 in St. John Cathedral, Paterson. Father Ed's early assignments as a parochial Vicar included:St. Paul Parish,Clifton (1968-74); Holy Family Parish, Florham Park (1974-78); St. Phillip the Apostle Parish, Clifton (1978-79), and Our Lady of the Mountain, Long Valley (1979-85). While at St. Paul's, he served as a part time teacher at he former Pope Pius XII High School, Passaic(1969-71);a member of the diocesan Ecumenism Committee (1972) and secretary of the diocesan Liturgy Commission, and in 1978, while at St. Phillip's, he was elected the sixth president of the diocesan Priests' Senate, the first parochial vicar to hold that office. He was re-elected in 1980. In 1986, Bishop Rodimer named Father Collins as administrator of a new mission of Our Lady of the Mountain Parish, under the title of St. Mark, the Evangelist. In 1988, Bishop Rodimer made St. Mark, the Evangelist Mission a parish in a decree an April 25, 1988 and Father Collins was named the founding pastor. Father Collins served at St. Mark's until 1994 when he was granted sick leave. He also served as a member of the diocesan Development Committee (1986). He then served as parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock (1995-2006). In 1999, he was appointed as a chairman of the diocesan RCIA Committee and served a three-year term. In 2006, he was named chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, where he served until his death. In lieu of flowers donations to American Diabetes Assoc. 1701 No. Beauregard St. Alexandria VA 22311 is preferred.