After his funeral, in 1992, the January 12 edition of the Holy Trinity Parish Bulletin printed a eulogy for Father Cuddy. An excerpt is reprinted, below:

FATHER PAUL J. CUDDY, R.I.P.

Thousands, nay, tens of thousands of words, have been said of Father Cuddy when he lived among us. And many more words have been lavished on him in the memorials offered now that he has died. How do I dare any more to increase the avalanche? It could easily be that there is little left to be said now, very little to be added to what the venerable Father Thomas Brennan said so well in his homily at the Mass of Christian Burial. (Saint Alphonsus 1/6/92).

And still we are constrained to speak a word. This very well known priest,Father Cuddy, lived with us here at Holy Trinity from the first part of July, 1973 to his departure for Auburn nearly fifteen years later. That was a relatively long period of some stability in the life of Father C. who, despite his wonderful stature and girth, moved waif-like – often and swiftly – whatever way the spirit moved.

In his swift movements he always lived out the life that Father Brennan described so well at the funeral Mass. Do you want to remember Father Cuddy? Then listen to this simple recollection: he loved to be a priest. I can't think of anything else he could have been. If I imagine him a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, a cook (he could EAT but not cook), a mechanic (he hardly knew for sure how to operate a switch), ...when I imagine any of these unlikely possibilities, I know that the Lord probably said – as He has surely said of most old priests – I better take him on as an apostle of mine because he can hardly do anything else!

And truly, he would have been a disaster even as a coat room attendant. In the time of his very frequent going off to priests' “meetings”, dinners and othercelebrations he became well known, infamous, to those who were at the same gathering. When time came to reclaim articles at the check room, he constantly traded (usually up) by happy negligence coats, hats, rubbers, boots, and other personal possessions. He usually left better dressed than he came – although the size was not always the best (That did not seem to bother him at all.) Most of his clerical acquaintances were quite aware of his apparently innocent but gainful trades. Thus proper caution was maintained and restitution was usually promptly made.

Yes, all other vocations, jobs, occupations, and positions considered, the only thing left to him in life was to be a priest. And that is everything he ever wanted to be and that is what he was.

I will pass over the details of his biography: he was a soldier, but like most Catholic chaplains, he remained always the priest, temporarily serving in military garb; he was a teacher, but his teaching was always that of the Christ; he was a salesman..a traveling salesman. When he first came here I told him he was a higgler, a huckster, with all the pamphlets and medals and rosaries and tapes, books and whatever else he thought he could peddle. He chose to recognize this epithet as a cry of praise – because he then promptly grappled the title huckster to himself. Here is a secret about his commercial ventures though: I do think he sold numberless valuable books and such items to help people. In my best estimation, however, he was quite a bad huckster and I do believe he lost more money and merchandise than he ever justified by profits taken. Never mind. As I say he was a priest. First, last, and always.

He was open, affable, friendly to all. Sometimes perhaps he was not altogether prudent about his outgoing affections, not exercising the best critical judgment about his choice of friends and acquaintances. Never mind that either. He did win a lot of people over to the right side, the side of the Lord and His Church.

I do not have to tell you that he had many friends, here and there and all over. No one has ever numbered them; it would be an impossible task. Young men and old consulted him. He was especially attractive to mature and pious ladies who wrote to him, called him, and went on trips to distant places with him. The Knights of Columbus often saluted him with honors. And so on and so on and so on. I must stop now.

Father Cuddy was an unusual man, a remarkable man in many ways. He was an extremely SOCIABLE man. He impressed many men, women and children for good and they will remember him beyond the present moment of loss. I think his work continues for the Great High Priest.

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