Anthony Dalla Villa, 63; Former Rector of St. Patrick’s in NYC
Msgr. Anthony Dalla Villa, 63, former rector of New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral who delivered Andy Warhol’s eulogy, died Sunday of a heart attack while giving a sermon at St. Agnes Catholic Church in New York.
Dalla Villa was known for invoking pop culture and modern themes in his sermons. During Warhol’s 1987 memorial service at St. Patrick’s, he said: “What you are is God’s gift to you. What you make of it is your gift to God.”
Dalla Villa was ordained in 1964. He served at Bronx and Staten Island churches before transferring to St. Patrick’s in 1980. He became rector in 1988 and joined St. Agnes last year.
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