STERLING HEIGHTS — Fr. Leon Page, known for the strong sense of community he fostered at his parish for many years, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, and as a devoted family man to his sister and many nieces and nephews, died Jan. 29.
Fr. Page, 92, was “a minister to the people, and that was his only interest: to use the gifts that he had to be advantageous to the needs of the people he was called to serve,” Deacon Johnny Vanneste, who served alongside Fr. Page for many years at St. Jane Frances de Chantal, told Detroit Catholic.
Fr. Page was born July 26, 1929, in River Rouge, attended Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit on June 2, 1956. Fr. Page celebrated his first Mass at St. Leonard of Port Maurice Church in Warren.
Fr. Page served as associate pastor of St. Henry Parish, Lincoln Park (1956); St. Alphonsus Parish, Dearborn (1956-61); St. Martin Parish, Detroit (1961-65); St. Mary Magdalen Parish, Hazel Park (1965-69); St. Norbert Parish, Inkster (1969-70); and St. Louise de Marillac Parish, Warren (1974-77). He served briefly as administrator of St. Matthew Parish, Detroit (1973-74).
Perhaps most notably, Fr. Page became the founding pastor of St. Jane Frances de Chantal in 1977, shepherding the original 87 families first at Flynn Middle School, where the parish held Mass before the construction of the church building on Ryan Road. Fr. Page never left St. Jane Frances de Chantal until his retirement in 1999.
Deacon Vanneste served alongside Fr. Page for seven years starting in 1993. Fr. Page was an important factor in Deacon Vanneste's own vocation, encouraging him to apply for the diaconate.
“Father and I had a great relationship — he was more like an uncle to me than an archdiocesan priest — and we just got along famously,” Deacon Vanneste said. “He was very easy to work with. If I wanted to do something on behalf of the Church, as long as I gave him good rationale and indicated that I was prepared to do it, that was fine with him.”
Fr. Page's commitment to the parish allowed it to grow naturally, said Michael Emerson, a member of St. Jane Frances de Chantal since it's founding.
“Fr. Page was just one of those people who supported whatever the parishioners wanted to do. He was behind it 100 percent as long as the parishioners were interested and the community wanted to participate in those events,” said Emerson, adding Fr. Page presided over the weddings of three of his four daughters. “It didn’t matter what walk of life you were from; he was an approachable person. He was a genuine listener."
When he wasn’t serving his parish community, Fr. Page devoted his time to his sister, Rita Page, and her six children, Deacon Vanneste said. Fr. Page regularly took his nieces and nephews along with him to the beach, where he delighted in swimming, sailing and fishing.
Following his retirement, Fr. Page moved into his parents' home with his sister, where he spent his senior years. In addition to sailing and swimming, Fr. Page was a gardener, and often canned the vegetables he grew, Emerson said.
“He was a really simple guy; he didn’t expect a lot,” Emerson said. “He relied on what the good Lord provided him to make his life work. It's not what you have as much as it is about the people that you have in your life; that was his message to the people of St. Jane.”
Fr. Page is preceded in death by his parents, Leandre and Vina Page. He is survived by his sister, Rita, six nieces and nephews, and many great-nieces and great-nephews. He leaves behind the legacy of a thriving parish and all the faithful he served.
Fr. Page will lie in state Friday, Feb. 4, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., followed by Mass at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church, 38750 Ryan Road, Sterling Heights. He will be interred at Christian Memorial Cultural Center. Donations can be given in his name to Right to Life of Michigan.
Detroit Catholic reporter Dan Meloy contributed to this report.
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