Father Dario Endiape Leaves a Lasting Effect on Basking Ridge Community

After three years of service, Father Dario Endiape will leave the Saint James Roman Catholic Church and Basking Ridge community on Mar. 22 to return to the Philippines and serve in the Diocese of Lucena.

Having been part of the parish since the summer 0f 2007 as parochial vicar, Endiape has left a positive mark on the Basking Ridge community and will be sorely missed by the parishioners of Saint James.

"Our family has known Father Dario from the first week he arrived at St. James.  He has been an important part of both our family life and our community life at St. James," said Deborah Knapp, a parishioner and religion education teacher at the church. "He is a joy to be with and a very good priest and friend.  We will all miss him terribly."

Father Glenn Comandini, the pastor at Saint James, will also miss his colleague dearly, as he said, "He has been a comforting presence –a holy man whose smile reassures all that everything will be okay."

As a devoted priest, he was always an advocate of strengthening the beliefs of the parish. While in Basking Ridge, he avidly encouraged the growth of the opportunities available at Saint James, such as the youth ministry.

Christina Imparato, the youth minister at Saint James, said, "Through bowling, volleyball or his testimony about his impoverished youth in the Philippines, Father Dario always remained centered on Christ. He served the youth ministry program at St. James in many different forms… He always served with a gentle and loving heart. His honesty, simplicity, and humility will be greatly missed at St. James."

Endiape did not only inspire parishioners through his weekly sermons and strong faith, but through his kind-hearted actions and his ability to connect with members of the church individually. He made lasting friendships with everyone in the parish –helping new parishioners feel at home and long-time churchgoers feel more like family.

"We were relatively new in Basking Ridge.  Father Dario came in a few weeks ahead of us and he was very helpful in connecting us to other people, which enabled us to settle down much faster" Tessa Lopez, a parishioner, recalled.

Staying in Basking Ridge has also been an enriching experience for Endiape himself. When asked what he will miss most about Saint James and Basking Ridge, he simply said "everybody."

Father Dario demonstrates faith, grace, and selflessness which have helped him establish a strong relationship with the parish and Basking Ridge –a bond that seems to be mutually beneficial.

"The St. James community has become my family. The people have been generous in everything to me. I can honestly say that I have been loved so much and have grown a lot in all aspects… They have helped me to be more faithful to my vocation as servant-leader of God," commented Endiape.  

Endiape, from the Quezon Province of the Philippines, studied at St. Francis DeSales Seminary in the Archdiocese of Lipa and got a degree in Philosophy before being ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Lucena.

Endiape will be replaced by Father Carmelo Villocillo y Gatdula, who is also part of the Diocese of Lucena, having been ordained in 1989. Villocillo y Gatdula arrived from the Philippines on Feb. 27.

Father Dario Endiape will always be remembered as an inspiration and a dear friend, and although he leaves for the Philippines, he will always have a home here in Basking Ridge.