Citizenship Award

Rev. Fr. Robert A. Gentile, Jr. was born to Robert A. Gentile, Sr. and Beverly J. Gentile in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is one of three children, with an older and a younger sister. The family lived in the Forest Park section of Springfield until Father Gentile was thirteen, at which point they moved to Ludlow, Massachusetts.

While living in Springfield, Father Gentile attended Holy Name School on Dickenson Street. After moving to Ludlow, he attended Saint John the Baptist School on Hubbard Street. For high school, Father Gentile chose Cathedral High School, hoping to reunite with his former classmates from Holy Name School.

After graduating from Cathedral High School, Father Gentile enrolled at Springfield Technical Community College in the Engineering Transfer Program. While studying engineering, he discovered an interest in economics, prompting a change in his academic path. He transferred to American International College, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.

After college, Father Gentile joined Merrill Lynch’s financial training program and worked as a financial advisor for several years.

Father Gentile’s father, Robert Sr., was diagnosed with emphysema at the age of thirty-five. By the time Robert Sr. reached fifty-eight, his condition forced him to retire. His retirement created a need for someone to manage the family’s properties and provide care. As the only family member with knowledge of the properties and without immediate family commitments, Father Gentile left his position as a financial consultant to care for his father and manage the family’s affairs.

After his father’s passing, Father Gentile began reevaluating his life and exploring his true calling. This period of discernment led him to enter Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, to study for the priesthood. Initially uncertain about his vocation, he left seminary after two years to return to the financial services industry. However, he soon realized that the priesthood was indeed his calling. After a year away, he returned to the seminary to complete his studies.

In 2003, Father Gentile was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Springfield. His first assignment was as Parochial Vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Springfield, where he served for 33 months.

In May 2006, Father Gentile began his service as Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Holyoke, where he remained until March 2024. On March 1, 2024, he was assigned as Pastor of Ste. Rose de Lima Parish in Chicopee, where he continues his ministry.