ROCHESTER, N.Y. — News10NBC spoke with a friend of Father Jim Callan, reflecting on the impactful life of the beloved priest.

Dr. William Valenti, from Trillium Health, described Fr. Callan as “an important person in the early days of the AIDS crisis.”

Dr. Valenti worked with Father Callan in the 1980s, caring for AIDS patients. He noted that Fr. Callan’s acceptance of these patients into his church was a significant move.

“When he was at Corpus Christi Parish, they began the Isaiah House hospice program,” Valenti said. “Isaiah House was the first hospice program to accept AIDS patients in those very early days. So that was a very big step.”

Fr. Callan was known for advocating progressive policies in his church. He pushed for the ordination of women, he married gay couples and invited non-Catholics to participate in communion. These actions eventually led to his expulsion from the Catholic Church in 1999. Afterward, he transitioned from Corpus Christi Church to Spiritus Christi Church, which he helped establish with female priest Mary Ramerman, bringing many parishioners along.

“Spiritus Christi also welcomed our patients and ministered to them,” Valenti said. “He was a man of faith, of action, and humanity and really embraced people. He helped them through what was, for many people, a terminal illness. I mean, he was a great counselor. He was comforting. He was thoughtful, and he was passionate.”

Valenti hopes that others will follow Father Callan’s example in the future.

“He left an important legacy and set the bar high for other people to live up to,” Valenti said. “We will be needing more Father Jim Callans.”

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