A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Dec. 29, at Crotona Chapel of Holy Name Friary, Ringwood, for Brother Rosario Vieria, O.F.M., 85, who died Dec. 22.
 
Born in Sande, Marco de Canavezes, Portugal, he was a Franciscan Friar for 54 years. His family immigrated to the United States in 1938. From 1943-1946, he served in the U.S. Air Force.
 
Br. Rosario professed his final vows Aug. 21, 1958, and served in New York, Washington D.C., and Brazil. In 1990, he returned to America and briefly joined the staff at the Province’s nursing facility in Ringwood and was later named Vicar of Saint Anthony Friary in Butler until 1996.
He continued to reside in Butler as a senior associate until 2005, when he again returned to Ringwood, first as a senior associate and then fully retired.