Fr. James Callan,Rochester died peacefully on Friday, December 13th, 2024 at the age of 77. Predeceased by his parents, Philip and Lucile Callan; brothers, Philip, Brady, and David Callan; brother-in-law, Leo Aman. Fr. Callan is survived by his siblings, Marian Aman, Edward Callan, Daniel Callan, and Jerry (Ruth) Callan; sisters-in-law, Eileen Callan, Tessie Callan, and Linda Finke; many wonderful nieces and nephews.
Fr. James B. Callan was ordained on October 4th, 1974, the Feast of St. Francis, at St. Mary Church in Canandaigua. He served in parishes at Saints Peter and Paul in Elmira, St. Ambrose Church, Corpus Christi Church for 22 years, and Spiritus Christi Church for 25 years.
Fr. Callan will be remembered as a very happy priest who loved the people he served.
All are welcome to attend Fr. Callan's Funeral Mass on Saturday, December 28, 10:00am at Rochester Riverside Convention Center, in the Empire Hall. Interment private. Memorials may be directed to Spiritus Christi Church. To share a memory or send the family a condolence, please visit www.harrisfuneralhome.com.
Rev. James B. Callan, who rebelled against the Catholic Church, dies at 77


The Rev. James B. Callan, who was an associate pastor of Spiritus Christi since its founding in 1999 after he was removed from the parish at Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church for his liberal practices, died Friday night after battling cancer for more than six months. He was 77.
His death was announced on Saturday by the Rev. Myra Brown on the Spiritus Christi Facebook page. In a heartfelt video, she spoke of the last gift Callan received from his loved ones and community: The Night of Yellow Roses.
It was a tribute and celebration of life for Callan that was held Dec. 12, one day before his passing. He was able to watch the entire program through a livestream from his hospital bed.
“This community showed up in the thousands in the room and via livestream and filled his heart,” Brown said in the video with tears in her eyes. She shared a message Callan wrote to her that night after the ceremony.

“The number of people who showed up tonight took my breath away,” Callan wrote in his message. “I cried many times. Keep the spirit growing, I love you all.”
This final message from a man who spent his career committed to creating a more inclusive space within the church, especially for those in marginalized parts of society, served as a reminder for those who come after him.
More:How Myra Brown became only the third African-American female Catholic priest
Who was the Rev. James B. Callan?

Callan knew he wanted to be a priest at five years old, he wrote on his biography page on the Spiritus Christi website.
He became the assistant pastor of Corpus Christi in Rochester in 1976. The church was rundown with very few members at the time and he was there to try to revive it, the Rev. Mary Ramerman said.
The Rev. Ramerman met Callan in 1983 when she and her husband, Jim, came to work for the church. Throughout their time together at Corpus Christi, Callan opened the doors to more prominent roles in the service for Ramerman at a time when many in the church were against women in leadership roles.

He blocked out all of that noise and told Ramerman that her voice needed to be heard from the pulpit, she said. A New York Times article from 1998 states that the parish went from an average Mass attendance of 200 to 3,000 under Callan’s leadership. The church became full of a diverse group of people who went on to begin ministries like a clinic in Haiti, a homeless shelter and a home for former prisoners, the article said.
He was always known for pushing the boundaries within the Catholic Church, which ultimately led to his removal as pastor of Corpus Christi Church by Bishop Matthew Clark for having women pastors, inviting all people, even those outside of the Catholic faith, to communion and marrying same-sex couples.
Though Callan did his part in reviving the church, his removal basically took the thousands of heartbroken parishioners with him, leaving the church to return to its former state: nearly empty.
The church also removed Ramerman from Corpus Christi only a few months after Callan. Together, the pair went on to become partners, opening their own church, Spiritus Christi. The parishioners followed and the pair was excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1999.
Ramerman reflected on a quote Callan gave in the 1998 NYT piece in which he said, “Like Eric Sevareid used to say, 'I'm a pessimist about tomorrow, but I'm an optimist about the day after tomorrow.’”
He was an optimist, and she was a realist — which made them a good team. His optimism was never blind, she clarified. He identified with this quote, she said because though he always maintained hope for a better future, he was always aware of the issues plaguing society and continued working to address them.
“He would always say that the church should be a Cadillac with bright lights instead of four flat tires. It should always be looking ahead, bringing people to a brighter and lighter future,” Ramerman said.
Six months of hope, love and yellow roses
Callan had undergone surgery in May to remove a cancerous tumor found on his tongue, according to Ramerman. The cancer was too aggressive, though, and it continued to grow.
Throughout, Callan remained strong in his faith. He practiced his morning meditation every day and prayed every night, she said. However, his illness continued to become more difficult and at one point he told her he didn’t feel close to God, but that it didn’t matter because he knew God was always there.
The role of his community also played a role in helping him remain hopeful. Ramerman said that about 25 cards would arrive in his mailbox every single day with words of encouragement and love. “So much so that the mailman stopped putting them in the slot, he would just knock on the door and come in and met Father Jim, and every day would come in and give him a hug,” she said.

The Night of the Yellow Roses was the community’s last chance to express how special he was to them. Callan always saw yellow roses as a sign from God that things were going to work out, Ramerman said.
He was funny, kind, non-judgmental and loving, she said. He uplifted her and her voice in a time when others wanted her to stay quiet.
Callan touched the lives of thousands of people, many of whom were made to feel that they didn’t have a place within the Catholic Church. He ignored those who attempted to stop him, continuing to work to make everyone feel at home in the church, she said.
Funeral arrangements for Father Callan are in the works, but have not yet been announced.