CLAL President Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and “The Sunday Mass” host Father Edward L. Beck on the war on Christmas and the impact of commercial interests.
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.
The Donate Now button will redirect you to Caring Habits, Inc. (CHI) which is the credit card processing company for The Passionist Missionaries website.
Every Knee Shall Bend – Advent and Christmas music by the Passionists is now available as a digital download. The 19 selections range from Gregorian chant and newly arranged Christmas carols, to contemporary works in styles taken from many traditions and cultures.
Listen to previews. Download your favorite tracks or get the whole album. All proceeds benefit the ministries of the Passionist priests and brothers.
Check out: Every Knee Shall Bend. It is our hope that these compositions and arrangements will inspire hope in the power of God’s saving presence.
This Christmas give your loved ones the gift of a retreat at a Passionist retreat center. For more information about a retreat center near you, click on one of the links below.
St. Paul’s Retreat’s Retreat Center – Pittsburgh, PA
Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center – North Palm Beach, FL
Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center – West Hartford, CT
Bishop Molloy Retreat Center - Jamaica, NY.
Fr. Sebastian Kolinovsky, C.P., 92, a Passionist priest of St. Ann’s Shrine Basilica, Scranton, died on Monday, November 28 after a long illness. He resided at St. Mary’s Villa Nursing Home, Elmhurst for the last four years.
Fr. Sebastian was born Joseph M. Kolinovsky in Harryette, Ohio, the son of the late John and Barbara Podracky Kolinovsky. He grew up in Taylor and was a member of St. John’s parish. He attended Taylor High School and graduated from Central High School. He joined the Passionists in 1942 and received his early education in the Passionists at Holy Cross Preparatory School, Dunkirk, NY. He professed his vows in 1945 and after studying theology in various Passionist Monasteries Fr. Sebastian was ordained a priest by Most Rev. James McNulty at St. Michael’s Monastery, Union City, NJ on February 27, 1951.
Fr. Sebastian’s first ten years of priesthood were spent preaching missions, novenas and retreats both in Slovak and English. He served as Assistant Superior of St. Joseph’s Monastery, Baltimore, MD from 1962-1968 and was Rector of Cardinal Spellman Retreat House, Riverdale, NY from 1968-1978. Fr. Sebastian was the Mission Procurator for the Passionists from 1971-2004. He worked out of the Passionist Community of St. Michael’s residence from 1978-2004. He moved to St. Ann’s Monastery Scranton in 2004.
An amiable and gracious man, Fr. Sebastian as Mission Procurator and fund raiser for the Passionists Overseas Missions, spent many hours at his desk writing personal letters of acknowledgement to benefactors, offering condolences to the bereaved, encouraging the sick, caring for the unemployed and those weighed down by life’s burdens and establishing long lasting bonds with many of the people who supported the Passionist missions.
During his time at St. Mary’s Villa Residence Fr. Sebastian enjoyed the company of the other residents and staff. His family and Passionist community are very grateful for the care and love they gave to Fr. Sebastian during these last years, especially the staff at St. Mary’s Villa Nursing Home who cared for him with great devotion.
Fr. Sebastian is survived by a sister, Madeline Yarima, Scranton, a brother John, Milton, Florida and a brother Clement of Scranton. and several nieces and nephews and grand nieces, nephews and cousins. Along with his parents he was preceded in death by his two sisters, Ann Bierchinski and Mary Tremko.
Fr. Sebastian’s body will be received at St. Ann’s Shrine Basilica on Thursday, December 1 at 2:00 PM. His body will lie in repose for viewing until 7:30 pm. This will be followed by a Vigil service, lead by Very Rev. James Price, C.P., Rector. A viewing will also take place on Friday morning from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM. The funeral mass will be at St. Ann’s on Friday, December 2 at 10:30 AM, celebrated by Very. Rev. Robert Joerger, C.P., Passionist Provincial. Burial will follow at St. Ann’s Monastery cemetery. Funeral arrangements are being coordinated by Thomas J. Hughes Funeral Home, 1240 St. Ann’s Street, Scranton.
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.
The Donate Now button will redirect you to Caring Habits, Inc. (CHI) which is the credit card processing company for The Passionist Missionaries website.
