Fr. Tony Vercellone was born on May 16, 1947 in Oglesby, Illinois, to Tony and Mary Vercellone. Fr. Tony's mother passed away in 1976. His father still resides in Oglesby and turned 90 last May.
Fr. Tony attended Holy Family Grade School, St. Bede Academy, St. Bede Jr. College and then graduated with his B.A. in Philosophy from St. Anselm's College in Manchester, New Hampshire. He received his M.R.S. degree from St. Mark's Seminary in South Union, Kentucky.
In 1967, Fr. Tony entered the Benedictine Abbey of St. Bede in Peru, Illinois where he remained for five years. During that time, he completed his college studies and returned to teach at St. Bede Academy. In 1972, Fr. Tony left the Abbey and worked for one year at Downy Veteran's Hospital in Great Lakes, Illinois, as a psychiatric nursing assistant. In 1973, he returned to Oglesby and taught at his parish grade school for one year. In 1975, Fr. Tony entered St. Pius X Abbey in Pevely, Missouri where he completed his theological studies and was ordained a priest on April 18, 1980 at the Old Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri. For the next five years, Fr. Tony worked in retreat ministry, giving retreats for high school students, married couples, family retreats, Sister's retreat and parish missions. It was at this time that he entered into full time parish ministry.
In 1985, Fr. Tony felt called to enter into parish life more fully and requested to leave the Abbey to work in the Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas. From 1985 to 1987, he was Associate Pastor at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Henderson, NV. From 1987 through 1993, Fr. Tony worked in Reno at Little Flower, Our Lady of Wisdom and also served as Chancellor for the Diocese along with being Pastor at St. Robert Bellermine Church in Fernley, NV. In 1993, Fr. Tony was assigned to open a new parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Las Vegas where he remained for four years. In 1997, Fr. Tony was named full time Vocation Director for the Diocese of Las Vegas where he served until June 30, 2007. On July 1, 2007, with the approval of Bishop Joseph Pepe and an assignment from Bishop Randoph Calvo, Fr. Tony was named Pastor at Our Lady of the Snows in Reno.