Father Dominic Scotto, TOR, 92, a Franciscan Friar of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis, died on 21 November 2022 at Saint Francis Friary in Loretto, PA. Born on 3 December 1929 in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Domenico and Grazia (Assante) Scotto, Father Dominic was given the name Francesco (Francis). After completing high school at St. Francis Prep School in Brooklyn, Francis studied art for three years at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. In early 1951, he enlisted in the Air Force and served four years, including one tour of duty in Korea.
Following his military service, Francis was employed by a couple of New York City advertising agencies as a graphic artist. Though he dreamed of becoming a book illustrator, a persistent internal voice led him to enter the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular in Loretto on 7 September 1958 to become a Franciscan priest. After completing his novitiate year, Francis professed simple vows and assumed the name Dominic, his deceased father’s name. In 1963, he graduated from Saint Francis College with a B.A. in Philosophy and professed solemn vows a year later.
Following his ordination to the Priesthood on 20 May 1967, Father Dominic went on to earn an S.T.B. and S.T.L. in Theology from The Catholic University of America (1969), an M.A. in Liturgy from the University of Notre Dame (1974), and a S.T.L. and S.T.D in Liturgical Theology from the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo in Rome, Italy (1978).
In the course of his 61 years of Franciscan vowed life, Father Dominic served the Church and the Franciscan community in many capacities including Director of Post-novitiate Formation, Provincial Councilor, and faculty member at Saint Francis Seminary before becoming chaplain and instructor of liturgy at Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH where he served for 22 years from 1997 to 2019. Deeply appreciated for his spirit of prayer as well as his presence as a pastor, confessor, and spiritual director, Father Dominic also published a number of journal articles as well as several books including The Table of the Lord (1990) and Liturgy of the Hours: Its History and Importance (1986).
In addition to being a brilliant liturgist and scholar, Father Dominic never lost his artist talent and love for drawing. In addition to painting a number of scenes from the life of Saint Francis, Fr. Dominic may be best known for the hundreds of caricatures of Franciscan friars he drew for their birthdays over the course of several decades to the great enjoyment and laughter of all.
Fr. Dominic is preceded in death by his parents, Domenico and Grazia, and four brothers: Salvatore, Leonard, Joseph, and Anthony. He is survived by one cousin, a number of nieces and nephews, their spouses and children, and his Franciscan Community.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Fr. Dominic was celebrated on November 28, 2022 at St. Francis Friary at Mount Assisi with the Very Rev. Joseph Lehman, T.O.R., Minister Provincial as principal celebrant. After the Mass, Fr. Dominic was buried in the Franciscan Friars’ Cemetery, on the campus of Saint Francis University, Loretto.