Brother Michael Stomber visits the residents of the Manchester Infirmary in Jamaica every week. The infirmary is the last stop for many people who are elderly or disabled and destitute. The residents love to sing so Brother Michael always brings … Continue reading
Category Archives: Jamaica
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The Passionists in Jamaica are involved in education at very level, from primary through tertiary education.
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Passionist Fr. Richard Leary Laid to Rest in Mandeviile, Jamaica
This morning (Monday) Bishop Neil Tiedemann presided at a Mass of Christian Burial for Father Richard Leary at Saint Paul of the Cross Cathedral in Mandeville, Jamaica. Archbishops Charles DuFour, Donald Reese, and Edgerton Clarke concelebrated, along with about 15 priests and several deacons. Friends from the Mandeville and Kingston areas participated in the liturgy. Fr. Michael Rowe, CP gave a very thoughtful homily, celebrating the influence that Richard had on his life when he was a Passionist seminarian. After communion, Sister Una, CP and Fr. Peter Grace, CP also offered reflections on Richard’s life and ministry. I offered some words of thanks to Bishop Neil and to those in attendance.
Father Richard’s remains were laid to rest in the Passionist cemetery at the cathedral, next to those of Martin Tooker, his classmate. Br. Michael Stomber handcrafted a tile receptacle for the cremains. Parishioners sang traditional Jamaican hymns as the grave was being covered with dirt.
The liturgy was a joyful celebration of Richard’s faith and his commitment to the Gospel as a Passionist priest. It also highlighted the rich legacy that all the Passionists who have worked in Jamaica have left here.
- Fr. Robin Ryan, C.P.
Fr. Richard Leary, C.P. (1918-2011)
Father Richard Leary, a Passionist priest and missionary, died at Immaculate Conception Monastery on December 11, 2011 at the age of 93 years old. He was born on August 19, 1918. He was the son of the late Moses L. Leary and the late Lena (Chapman) Leary. Brother of Mrs. Dorothy Millette of Eastham, Massachusetts and Catherine Dowhan of Burlington, VT. Father Leary graduated from Cathedral High School in Burlington, Vermont in 1936. He attended Saint Michael College, Winooski, Vermont and Holy Cross Seminary, Dunkirk, New York. Father Leary entered the Passionists – a Roman Catholic Religious community of priests and brothers dedicated to the Passion of the Christ, contemplative prayer, the popular preaching of parish missions and retreats, and overseas missionary work – in 1938. After completing his novitiate at Saint Paul of the Cross Monastery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he professed his vows in 1939. After studying at Saint Gabriel Monastery, Brighton, Massachusetts and Saint Ann Monastery, Scranton, Pennsylvania, he received his BA in 1942. He then studied theology at Immaculate Conception Monastery, Jamaica, New York, Our Lady of Sorrows Monastery, West Springfield, and Saint Michael Monastery, Union City, New Jersey. He was ordained to the priesthood at Saint Michael Monastery, Union City, New Jersey on April 29, 1946.
Father Leary studied at Laval University in Quebec, Canada. He received his Licentiate in Canon Law in 1948 and then taught canon law at Saint Mary Monastery, Dunkirk, New York, Saint Gabriel Monastery, Brighton, Massachusetts, Immaculate Conception Monastery, Jamaica, New York, Saint Joseph Monastery, Baltimore, Maryland, Holy Family Monastery, West Hartford, Connecticut, Our Lady of Sorrows Monastery, West Springfield, Massachusetts, and Saint Ann Monastery, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Father Leary was principal of Drexel High School in Atlanta, Georgia from 1961-1965. Known for his dedication to the sick, Father Leary was Parochial Vicar at Saint Paul of the Cross, an African American parish in Atlanta, Georgia from 1961-1969. He also was pastor there from 1961-1971. He then devotedly dedicated himself to inner-city ministry in Atlanta from 1971-1977.
Father Leary left the United States in 1977 for a missionary career in the Caribbean nation of Jamaica, West Indies. He pastored parishes in Christiana, Bull Savannah, Balaclava, Black River, Mandeville, and Kingston. He also served in the formation of young Religious in the novitiate at Balaclava and in canonical affairs for the diocese. Throughout his life Father Leary accompanied the poorest of the poor, and he served on various civic organizations and boards and committees that ministered to the downtrodden.
The viewing will be held on Tuesday, December 13, at Immaculate Conception Monastery from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM. There will be a Rosary and Vigil Service at 7:00 PM. Funeral Mass will be held at Immaculate Conception on Wednesday, December 14, at 11:00 AM.
Please consider making a make donation in Fr. Richard Leary’s memory to the Passionist Retirement Fund.
Passionist Missionaries Inc.
526 Monastery Place
Union City NJ 07087-3398
Tel: 888/806-6606
E-mail: AGardiner@cpprov.org
Donate on-line by clicking the button below.
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Help Passionist Volunteers International while Christmas Shopping!
Passionists Volunteers International is a wonderful program founded by the Passionists of St. Paul of the Cross Province. Through PVI, young adults, mostly recent college grads, give one or two years of their lives in service to the rural poor of Jamaica, West Indies.
This experience is a transformative one for the majority of participants. They return with a deeper faith and a desire to continue to serve and of course PVI has made a huge difference in the communities where they serve.
You can read about the volunteers’ work and experiences at: http://passionistvolunteers.wordpress.com/
You can help the Passionists to continue to sustain this program while you shop on-line for Christmas by installing the iGive button on your browser. The free iGive Button doesn’t change your shopping habits. This tiny addition to your browser automatically tells participating stores that you want your shopping to support your favorite cause or charity.
Quick Button Facts
- Easy to install and uninstall browser add-on / extension for PCs and Macs
- No pop ups, ads, toolbars, special search engine, or unwanted emails
- No sharing your email or other information
- The average iGive shopper raises over $50 a year with the iGive Button
- Always Free – the stores pay!
- At least $5 will be earned for Passionist Volunteers International, even if you don’t shop. All you need to do is keep the Button installed through 2/29/12.
The iGive Button
It won’t make you prettier. It won’t make you wealthier.
It WILL make you feel good, because you’ll be automatically helping
Passionist Volunteers International!
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