Far Rockaway Pastor Buried

Father Downing

A Mass of Christian Burial for Father Brendan W. Downing, pastor of St. Gertrude’s parish, Far Rockaway, was celebrated July 13 at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Far Rockaway. He died July 9, one day before his 55th birthday, at NYU Medical Center, Manhattan.

Born in Brooklyn, he attended St. Ann’s School, Flushing; Cathedral Prep, Elmhurst; Cathedral College, Douglaston; and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington. He was ordained April 28, 1979 by Bishop Francis J. Mugavero at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church.

He served as an assistant at St. Peter Claver, Bedford-Stuyvesant, 1979-80; and St. Catharine of Alexandria, Borough Park, 1980-84.

In 1984, he was released from diocesan duty and served as a priest in El Rosario Comayagua, Honduras. Returning to the diocese in 1990, he served one year at Visitation, Red Hook, before being assigned to St. Gertrude.

Father Downng studied Spanish at the Maryknoll Institute for Languages, Coachabamba, Bolivia, and continued his studies in Guatemala.

Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius A. Catanello was the main celebrant of the funeral Mass. Special concelebrants included Msgrs. Sean Ogle and Denis Herron and Father John Amman. Father Melvin Osegura preached.
As pastor of neighboring St. Mary Star of the Sea, Father James Cunningham developed a close connection with Father Downing, whom he said was deeply dedicated to St. Gertrude’s parishioners and Rockaway residents on the whole.

He noted that Father Downing, who spent six of his 28 years as a priest in the Honduran missions, “was a real missionary at heart. He had a great missionary spirit that was evident in his concern for the needs of the poor.”

That concern was most evident in his service as chairman of the Margert Community Corp., a housing assistance organization founded by the two parishes nearly 30 years ago to assist low-income tenants, homeowners, the elderly and disabled.

Father Downing is survived by his sisters, Geraldine Downing Anglum and Jean Downing Lynch.

Brother Edwin Led Franciscans

Brother Edwin Gill, OSF

Brother Edwin Gill, OSF, who was the Superior General of the Brooklyn-based community from 1976 to 1985, died July 5 at Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, after a long illness. He was 76.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated July 9 at Our Lady of Angels Church, Bay Ridge. Father William Gill, a retired priest of the Rockville Centre Diocese and the deceased’s brother, was the main celebrant.

Born in Brooklyn, Brother Edwin entered the Franciscans in 1949 from Good Shepherd parish, Marine Park. He attended St. Anthony’s Juniorate, Smithtown, L.I., St. John’s University, Jamaica, and did graduate studies at Iona College, New Rochelle. He held an honorary doctorate from St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights.

He taught at St. Francis Xavier School, Park Slope, 1951-52; St. Brigid’s, Ridgewood, 1952-58; and St. Francis Prep, Williamsburg, 1958-61.

He was principal and Superior at St. Joseph’s School, Babylon, L.I., 1961-64; and he served as Scholastic Master of the Brother Columba Reilly Scholasticate, Brooklyn, 1964-68. He was principal of Bishop Ford H.S., Park Slope, 1968-70.

In 1970, he was elected Assistant Superior General, and Superior General in 1986.

Beginning in 1985, he was the director of Pierrepont House for the Elderly, Brooklyn Heights. He became Treasurer General for the Franciscans in 1995.

Most recently, he has been living at the Franciscan Brothers’ retirement house in the former convent of Our Lady of Angels parish.

Brother Edwin is also survived by his sister, Sister Elizabeth Gill, OP.

Fr. Crowe Served Over 30 Yrs at OLPH

Father Crowe, C.SS.R

A Mass of Christian Burial for Father Martin Crowe, C.SS.R., was celebrated July 2 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica, Sunset Park. He died June 27 at St. John Neumann Residence, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He was 92.

Born in Erie, Pa., he entered the Redemptorists in 1935. He was ordained June 23, 1940.

He served as an assistant at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish for more than 30 years beginning in 1969.

Father Francis Browne, C.SS.R., former pastor of O.L.P.H., recalled that “He was a delight to live with, a very affirming confrere, especially for a young rector. He was extremely helpful and not afraid to roll up his sleeves and do any job. He did jobs nobody else wanted to do – like counting the money from the collections.”

Former principal, Sister Madeline Therese, CSJ, recalled, “He was in charge of CCD. And we worked well together. What was great about him was that he made sure the program has well-trained teachers. He sometimes seemed gruff on the outside, but those who worked with him knew he had a soft heart. He was very kind and caring. He did a lot of things for people that others never knew. And he never went anywhere without his toolbox!”

He was known to fix anything that broke in the rectory, the schools and even in the homes of elderly parishioners.

His youngest sister, Charlotte Fuhrman, said, “He used to walk the streets and he seemed to have a sense of when people needed him. He could fix anything – even broken hearts!”

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