It hurts anytime a community pillar passes away unexpectedly.

But for area Catholics seemingly constantly buffeted by bad news regarding the Catholic Church, the loss of a man like Father Dennis Mende hits especially hard.

Mende had been the pastor of the Holy Apostles Parish, a combination of Ss. Peter and Paul’s Church and St. John Roman Catholic Church. The story relayed by Tony Dolce, Jamestown City Council president and a member of Holy Apostles Parish, can be told by countless Jamestown residents who have attended Ss. Peter and Paul, St. John and now St. James over the past 22 years.

“Our family and our children grew up with him; he baptized them,” Dolce told our Katrina Fuller. “He buried both of my parents …”

It was important that Mende was available for major community events — and he was. But the role he played in so many peoples’ lives and the type of life he lived is what made him a community pillar in Jamestown.

Jamestown was lucky to have Dennis Mende for as long as it did. It will be difficult to fill the hole he leaves in our community.