Father Linus C. Fricker came to Honesdale in 1935 and spent the next four decades enhancing Catholic education in Wayne County. As an assistant pastor in Scranton, Father Fricker helped build a parochial grammar school and upon his appointment as pastor of St. Mary Magdalen he continued his devotion to children and education by immediately pursuing the enhancement of courses, resources and teachers for the Honesdale Catholic High School (grades 1-12), which was located on Church Street.

St. Mary Magdalen was his first and only pastorate, and he devoted the remaining 35 years of his life to the spiritual, intellectual, athletic and cultural development of the children and teenagers of his Honesdale Catholic Grade and High School ("HO CA HI").

At the time he assumed his duties, the church and school were deeply in debt, and the floods that occurred in 1936, 1938, and, most damagingly, 1942, compelled him to continually restore the church, convent and school properties. He persevered and through his personal determination, strength of character, ecumenical involvement within the community and devotion to the children of his parish he was successful in building the Honesdale Catholic High School (now St.Vincent's) on Cliff Street in Honesdale. The opening of the school in 1961 was the high point of his life.

Rev. Linus C. Fricker spent 49 years as a Catholic priest, 35 of those in Honesdale. He died in 1970 and is buried in St. Mary Magdalen Cemetery. His memory and influence remains strong in all those he taught, cared for and with whom he worked. His basic kindness, strength of character, and a determination to make best use of the intellect, skills and ability God gave him, were the hallmarks of his character and served as an example to the generations of students who walked the halls of Honesdale Catholic High School and now, St. Vincent's.

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