Our beloved Monsignor Franco was called to serve God's people at the young age of 18, and he has done so without fail every day ever since.

His sole desire was to work in a parish serving the people, but his God given talents destined him for other things as he was told by Padre Pio after having served his Mass as a young seminarian.

When Pope St. John XXIII entrusted Bishop Fulton J. Sheen with the task of preparing the ante-preparatory documents of the Second Vatican Council, Bishop Sheen recruited young Father Franco to assist in the task, and he would continue to serve Bishop Sheen at the council as peritus (expert) for the American Bishops.

After the council, Archbishop Francis Cardinal Spellman chose him as the first New York priest to serve in the Apostolic Delegation to the United States in Washington D.C..

From there he was called to serve in the Vatican at first as an official of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs and after two years, he initiated the so called "English Desk" handling matters related to the English-speaking world, a position he held for 24 years.

He was friend and close advisor to Pope St. John Paul the Great.

He was close friends with St. Theresa of Calcutta and played a key role in helping her gain access for her sisters to Russia.

In 1994, he finally got his wish, and Archbishop John Cardinal O'Connor appointed him Pastor of St. Augustine's Church in Ossining NY.  After 19 years, he retired according to canon law from pastoral work, but he was assigned by Pope Francis to be advisor to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See where he served for another 11 years.

In 2025, Monsignor Franco celebrated 70 years of active priesthood having served 6 popes, he continues to celebrate Mass in a number of parishes in New York as well as Italy; he is often asked to officiate at Baptisms and Marriages which he never fails to do.