Fr. William T. Cocco

August 8, 2024

Father Cocco was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia, Our Lady of Lord’s Parish. He is the youngest of five boys and has two stepsisters.  Father attended grade school at St. Andrew’s in Drexel Hill and then attended Monsignor Bonner high school, graduating in 1985.   Father’s family moved to the Rehoboth Beach Delaware area in 1986.  He attended Delaware Tech and later transferred to the University of Delaware.

 Father Cocco was hired as a Police officer for the Ocean City Maryland Police Department in April of 1991, working in the Patrol Division for three years and then worked as a detective for 6 years and he was a member of the Swat team for 8 years.  Father often tells people that” he changed his vocation from police officer to priest so that he could go to the parties before the fights broke out.” Father Cocco answered the call to the priesthood in September of 1999 after studying at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, in Baltimore Maryland.  He was ordained to the priesthood on May 29^th. 2004. 

Father Cocco’s first assignment was to St. John the Beloved Parish in Wilmington Delaware where he served as associate pastor for 5 years. In 2009 he was made Chaplain of St. Mark’s High School.  He became Pastor of Christ Our King Parish in Wilmington Delaware in June of 2010 while maintaining his duties as Chaplain for St. Mark’s.  In June of 2012 Father Cocco was appointed Pastor of St. John the Beloved parish in Wilmington.  In June of 2015 Fr. Cocco was appointed pastor of St Edmond in Rehoboth Beach where he is still currently assigned. 

He has served on the Diocesan Priest Council and the Diocesan Personnel Board.  Father has served as the Chaplain to the Wilmington Fire Department and Delaware State Police.  He is Chaplain to the Knights of Columbus and Chaplain of the Fourth Degree, and he is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus.   Father is a Third Order Franciscan. He enjoys cooking, traveling, gardening, collecting clocks and cigars! Fr. Cocco is also the proud father of one very special miniature Dachshund named “Zeek”.

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