Connecticut's Catholic community remembers beloved priest killed in West Hartford crash

“His gift in my mind was the gift of attention,” David Cinquegrani of the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center said.

That’s how David Cinquegrani describes his longtime friend and colleague, Father Terry Kristofak. He said that Kristofak was a priest for the people, guiding parishioners of all ages, classes and identities. Kristofak was as much an animal lover as he was a people lover. 

“I think Terry showed people how to love who they were and are and be who they are,” Cinquegrani said.

Cinquegrani said Kristofak showed that love often and in all ways. 

“There was a woman standing on the curb at a red light. And she was clearly without a home or food. And he said, ‘Dave, we have to get her somewhere.’ And I said, ‘We’re late for the dinner.’ But he was like, ‘No, open the door. We got to get her in.’ We got her in the car. We took her down into Hartford to a shelter, and he made sure she got in there and was taken care of,” Cinquegrani explained.

Kristofak spent the last several decades working at the retreat center, where thousands of parishioners come every year.

He was still doing house calls and learning sign language at the time of his passing.

“His schedule is not much different at 85 than it was at 55. Retirement wasn’t a word in his vocabulary because this was truly a calling and a gift and a love for him,” Richard Broggini of Glastonbury said.

Broggini is one of the thousands whose lives were touched by Kristofak at a retreat. They met in 1987 and were still in touch. 

One of Kristofak’s signature sayings was, “You never know what is going on in the heart of the person next to you.” 

“Just to treat people with kindness and understanding, I think it would be a great way to honor him and continue his message,” Broggini said

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