Staff writer

chriscam@observer-reporter.com

MUSE - Any telephone call placed to the office of Holy Rosary Church between January 1968 and last month likely was answered by Alice McCaffrey.

Even when she had foot surgery and was laid up for four months, McCaffrey still oversaw the church bookkeeping.

Parish secretary for 40 years, McCaffrey retired in March. She is believed to be the longest-serving parish secretary in the Pittsburgh Diocese.

Her going leaves a void, said the Rev. George DeVille, Holy Rosary pastor for the past seven years. Paraphrasing Winston Churchill, he said, "never has the parish owed so much to one person."

That's because McCaffrey did much more than just keep the church records.

"Anything someone else wouldn't do I did," she said simply. She was often asked to take on a task until the priest "found someone" to do it. That person never seemed to materialize.

Her tasks included caring for the church altar, washing the linens, changing the liturgical colors and placing the flowers. Her other duties included cleaning the rectory and providing daily meals for the priests.

McCaffrey has been at Holy Rosary since the parish began in 1963 as a mission of St. Mary's in Cecil. She jumped into the job when she noticed contribution cards were not being kept up to date. She initially kept records on index cards, but eventually mastered the computer.

She has continued as secretary through six different pastors.

Fortunately, the rectory is next door to her home and the church is just a block away. And, when they were younger, her sons Peter, Paul and Joseph helped her clean the church Saturday nights to get it ready for the next morning.

On March 30, a Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated at the church in her honor. Among the tributes was a special one from her son, Joseph, now pastor at Saints John and Paul in Sewickley. He credited her with his decision to go into the priesthood.

DeVille has appreciated McCaffrey's optimism and faith, especially during difficult times. "No matter if the roof has been falling in she'd say, 'Oh, it'll be all right, it'll work out,'" he said.

Their give and take has been easygoing and fun. If something went wrong DeVille would joke he was going to replace McCaffrey with a young, blonde secretary. She would quickly retort that she was hoping the next priest would be tall and good looking.

When McCaffrey took a vacation, she left a large, stuffed teddy bear wearing a blond wig in her chair.

McCaffrey plans to relocate to Villa Maria in New Bedford.

"The people in Muse are just great," she said, explaining the outpouring of support she received when her husband, Jay, died 20 years ago.

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