Fr. Murray Used Own Suffering to Minister to Others

Father Murray

A Mass of Christian Burial for Father John Murray, former parochial vicar at American Martyrs parish, Bayside, was celebrated Sept. 7 at the church.

He died Monday, Sept. 3, at Bishop Mugavero Residence, Douglaston, where he had been living. He was 78.

Born in Manhattan, he attended St. John’s Prep, Brookyn; Mater Christi Seminary, Albany; and St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore. He was ordained May 29, 1965 by Bishop Bryan J. McEntegart at St. James Pro-Cathedral, Brooklyn.

Before studying for the priesthood, he worked for 16 years in the hotel business in Manhattan.

He served as an assistant at St. Brendan, Midwood, 1965-66; St. Vincent de Paul, Williamsburg, 1966; Our Lady of the Cenacle, Richmond Hill, 1966-67; St. Edmund, Sheepshead Bay, 1967-81; St. Athanasius, Bensonhurst, 1981-85; St. Fidelis, College Point, 1985-93, and American Martyrs, from 1993 until earlier this year when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Father Murray was a member of the Bishop’s Committee on Alcoholism.

Msgr. Andrew Vaccari, Diocesan Chancellor, was the homilist at the funeral Mass. He recalled a friendship with Father Murray that went back 20 years when they both were assigned to St. Fidelis.

“We remained close friends from there on out,” said Msgr. Vaccari.

“He was known for his good humor, for his impeccable attire - he always wore a black hat in the winter and a straw hat in the summer.

“He was also known for being very down to earth and very approachable for helping people, including people who were in recovery. He was also known for his great devotion to the Blessed Mother.

“He will be remembered for his faith, his willingness to help people who were in trouble, and his great ability to interact with others.”

Msgr. Vaccari said that Father Murray was an only child, so his parish became his family. “When he told his parishes that they were his family, he really meant that.
“He was also someone you could go to for advice and someone you could go to when you were in trouble. And he put all of his trust into the Blessed Mother, because she always brought him to Christ.”

In a 1980 reflection on his own personal suffering and his vocation, Father Murray wrote in The Tablet: “The grace given to me to accept my powerlessness over these illnesses has shown me, in a special way, why Christ died for us. He did not suffer, die and rise again for saints, but rather for sinners, like this priest, that they might become saints by humbly allowing Him to lead them and following that direction by acccepting His will and His graces.”

Burial was in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside.

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Joan Shanahan Kearney, past president of the Queens County Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians and president of its Division 9 in Flushing, passed away unexpectedly on Aug. 27.

Father Kevin O’Donoghue, weekend assistant at her parish of American Martyrs, Bayside, celebrated her Vigil Service on Aug. 30, her birthday, and her Mass of the Resurrection on Aug. 31, which would have been her Golden Wedding Anniversary.

Mrs. Kearney was educated at Our Saviour School and Aquinas H.S., both in the Bronx; New Rochelle School of Nursing; and York College. She was employed by the New York City Department of Health as a school nurse, by Macy’s, Gimbels and Amtrack as an occupational health nurse, and by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Capital Cities/ABC Inc. as a medical administrator.

In 1989, she began a second career as an elementary school teacher with the Diocese of Brooklyn. She taught at Holy Child Jesus, Richmond Hill; St. Pius V, Jamaica, and Holy Family, Flushing.

She is survived by her husband, Patrick J. Kearney, Sr.; her children, Kathleen E. Kearney, M.D., and Patrick J. Kearney, Jr., Esq.; her two grandchildren and her Hibernian family.

Msgr. James B. Richter, 81, a former member of the faculty at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington, died Aug. 31.

He was ordained for the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1951 and incardinated into the Rockville Centre Diocese in 1957 when it was established.

He was the pastor emeritus of St. Patrick’s parish, Huntington.

Dorothy K. Lyon, the sister of Msgr. John Keppler, pastor emeritus of American Martyrs parish, Bayside, died Aug. 31 in North Carolina.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 8 at Sacred Heart Church, Brevard, N.C.

Sister Alice Loughney, RSM, a member of the Sisters of Mercy, Dallas, Pa., died Sept. 1 at the age of 91.

Born in Pittston, PA, she taught for 44 years in schools in the dioceses of Brooklyn, Rockville Centre, Scranton, Harrisburg, and Altoona/Johnstown.

For the past 18 years, she ministered as activities director at the Heritage House, Wilkes-Barre, PA; and as a pastoral minister at the Mercy Hospital, Wilkes-Barre, and three parishes in the Wilkes-Barre vicinity.

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