Msgr. Murphy Served Fort Greene Parish For More Than 20 Years
A Mass of Christian Burial for Msgr. Walter C. Murphy, 82, was celebrated April 26 in the chapel at Immaculate Conception Pastoral Center, Douglaston. He died April 23 at New York Presbyterian Hospital after a prolonged illness.
Born in Brooklyn, he attended St. Brigid’s School, Ridgewood; Cathedral Prep, Brooklyn; and St. John’s University, Brooklyn, where he majored in public accounting. Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines and saw combat action as an offier in Korea in 1952.
He worked as an accountant for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, before entering Our Lady of Angels Seminary, Niagara. He was ordaiend by Bishop Bryan J. McEntegart on May 31, 1958 at St. James Pro-Cathedral, Brooklyn.
He was an assisatnt at Our Lady Help of Christians, Midwood, 1958-60. After further studies at Catholic University, Washington, D.C., he was assigned to the faculty of Cathedral Prep, Brooklyn, in 1961, and joined the initial faculty at Cathedral College, Douglaston, in 1967.
In 1970, he became administrator of Sacred Heart, Fort Greene, where he was named pastor in 1979.
He retired in 2000 to Bishop Mugavero Residence, Douglaston. He also acted as assistant vicar for senior priests.
Msgr. Murphy served as moderator of the Catholic Accountants Guild and as a member of the Council for Administtration of Church Property.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio was the main celebrant of the funeral Mass. Special concelebrants included Msgrs. Joseph Pfeiffer and Vincent Keane and Father Kevin O’Donoghue. Father Robert Vitaglione preached the homily.
Sister Eileen Neary, RSM, who has been serving many years in Fort Greene, recalled that “Father Murphy came to Sacred Heart Church in 1970 and left on Feb. 1, 2001 to begin a new phase of life as a retired priest. This new phase consisted of many responsibilities as he took on being a liason to all retired priests, counseling students at Cathedral Prep in Elmhurst, celebrating the Latin Mass twice a month at St. John’s Cementary and twice a month in his home parish, St. Brigid’s in Ridgewood.
“He helped out in any parish whenever he was asked. He was moderator of the Courage ministry and Chaplain for the 1st Division of the USMC.
“He came with a great love for the people, dedicated to the poor. Sacred Heart was a diverse parish and his intelligence, dedication, strictness and fairness molded the people into a family. His fatherliness allowed the young to grow and achieve. The testimonies we heard at his wake were wonderfully similar: ‘Father Murphy saved my life as a teen-ager – if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be who I am today.’
“He often said that the joy of being a Marine almost equalled the joy of being a priest.”
Burial was in St. John’s Cemetery, Middle Village.
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A Mass of Christian Burial for Brother Hugh McGrath, O.S.F., former principal of Bishop Ford H.S., Park Slope, died April 27.
Brother Hugh celebrated his 60th anniversary as a Franciscan Brother.
A native of Brooklyn, he graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes, Bushwick, and then entered St. Anthony’s Juniorate. In 1949, he entered the novitiate and received the habit as a Franciscan Brother later that year.
He was assigned to St. Brigid’s School, Ridgewood, in 1952. In the Brooklyn Diocese, he also taught at St. Bartholomew’s, Elmhurst, and St. Anthony of Padua, Greenpoint.
From 1958 to 1964, he taught English at St. Francis Prep, Northside, and Bishop Ford Diocesan H.S., Park Slope, 1964-67.
In 1967, he was appointed principal of St. Aidan’s School. Williston Park, L.I. He returned to Bishop Ford in 1970 as principal and held that position until 1974.
Then as St. Francis Prep was relocated to Fresh Meadows, he was assigned to teach there. In 1979, he became principal of St. Anthony’s H.S., Smithtown, L.I. It was during his years at St. Anthony’s that the school expanded and relocated to Huntington, L.I.
In 1986, Brother Hugh served in the Diocese of Paterson, NJ, and served as principal at Paul VI H.S., Clifton, and later at Morris Catholic H.S., Denville.
He retired from school administration in 1999 and was assigned to teach at the new Cardinal Gibbons H.S., Raleigh, N.C. He retired from education in 2003.
He most recently resided at Our Lady of Angels Friary, Bay Ridge.
Sister Mary Jude Borden (Ellen T. Borden), CIJ, died peacefully April 24 after a long illness at the Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Infant Jesus (Nursing Sisters of the Sick Poor) in Rockville Centre. She was in her 68th year of religious life.
She entered the congregation in 1943 and made her final vows in 1949.
She served in a variety of nursing ministries sponsored by the Nursing Sisters, including hospital nursing at Mercy Medical Center, Rockville Centre, 1954-60 and home care for 21 years in Long Island City, Bay Ridge, East Meadow and Rockville Centre. She also served in the Bahama mission 1960-63 when it was opened.