Father Joseph Kurnath

LAKEVILLE — Father Joseph G. M. Kurnath, retired priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, passed away peacefully, at the age of 71, on Sunday, June 29, 2025.

Father Joe was born on May 21, 1954, in Waterbury, Connecticut. He attended kindergarten through high school in Bristol.

After graduating in 1972, he moved to Hartford, and after working many temporary jobs, in 1977, he began employment as an office assistant at the law firm of Robinson and Cole. He remained there until 1984 when he began studies at Saint Mary Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland.

He was ordained a deacon in 1989 in Baltimore and a priest in 1991 at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford.

He has served as seminarian, deacon and priest at Saint Stanicslaus in Meriden, Saint Luke in Hartford, Saint Rose in East Hartford, Saint Mary in Newington, Saint Anthony in Bristol, Saint Mary Hospital in Waterbury, and at over 10 parishes in the archdiocese, and finally as pastor of Saint Mary’s Church in Lakeville for 13 years, retiring in 2019.

Father Joe was always proud of his Slovak roots and enjoyed celebrating the Christmas Eve “Vilija” or vigil supper.

In addition to earning a B.A., S.T.B. and M.A. from Saint Mary’s Seminary, he also received a M.A. in scripture from the Hartford Seminary.

Preaching and doing pastor work were his favorite parts of ministry. Father Joe loved people, working with the youth and seeing each person at church, gathering together in imperfection in closeness with God as the Perfect Mystery.

Services will be held July 15, 2025, at 4 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church in Lakeville.

He is survived by all his members of the Church in which he considered his family.

You are never alone – God is right beside you.

The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.

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