Obituaries

Obituaries, Week of October 17, 2020

Passionist, Preacher, Missionary, Will Be Dearly Missed by His Congregation

Father Theodore Walsh, C.P., a Passionist priest, died on Oct. 6. He was 88. 

Father Theodore Walsh, C.P.

He studied in St. Benedict Joseph School, Richmond Hill; Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, and John Adams High School, both Ozone Park; Holy Cross Passionist Prep Seminary, Dunkirk, N.Y., and Passionist monastery seminaries in Jamaica, N.Y., Scranton, P.A., and Union City, N.J.

He professed as a Passionist on July 16, 1952, and was ordained on Jun 19, 1959. Father Walsh offered his First Solemn Mass in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Ozone Park, on Jun 21, 1959. 

His first assignment was to the Philippine Islands, where he spent over 10 years both in parish work and in formation. He was appointed assistant pastor at Kiamba, Philippines, 1964. After returning to the U.S., was part of the team ministry in the Passionists Retreat House in Jamaica, New York for several years. He then went to India to assist in the founding of the Community there. Since then he has been giving Parish Missions and Retreats. 

Passionist Priest Father Victor Hoagland, C.P., who preached at his funeral, said: “I guess I could say about Father Theodore what our wise classmate Father Paul Cusack said about him: “He was the holiest of us all.”

Funeral Mass was held on October 9 at 10 a.m. at the Passionist Monastery, followed by burial at the Immaculate Conception Monastery Cemetery.

He is survived by his sister Miss Maureen Walsh.


Sister M. Janice Barry, I.H.M.

Sister M. Janice Barry, I.H.M., a member of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for 69 years, died on Sept. 22, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton. She was 93.

She was born on March 14, 1927, in Pittsburgh, PA. Sister Janice entered the I.H.M. Congregation on Sept. 8, 1945, and made her temporary vows on May 8, 1948, and her final vows on Aug. 2, 1951.

She received a B.A. in Education from Marywood College and a M.S. in Biology from the University of Notre Dame.

Sister Janice served as a teacher at St. Ephrem Elementary School, Dyker Heights, 1948-56; St. Mary High School, Manhasset, N.Y., 1959-64; Central Islip High School, Islip, N.Y., 1970-71; St. Dominic High School, Oyster Bay, N.Y., Cathedral High School, New York, N.Y., 1985-86, 1991-96. She also served as a principal at Immaculata High School in New York, NY, 1969- 70; St. Mary High School, Manhasset, NY, 1975-76. 

Funeral Mass was private. Her burial was at St. Catherine’s Cemetery in Moscow, PA. 


Sister Mary Edward Loftus, I.H.M.,  (formerly Sister M. St. Edward), a member of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for 64 years, died on Oct. 5, at their Residence in Scranton. She was 88. 

Sister Mary Edward Loftus, I.H.M.

Sister Mary was born on Dec. 28, 1931, in Pittston, PA. She entered the Congregation on Sept. 8, 1950, made her temporary vows on Aug.2, 1953, and her final profession on Aug. 2, 1956.

She received a B.A. in Elementary Education from Marywood College, and a M. Ed. in Elementary Administration from Lehigh University.

Sister Mary Edward served as a teacher at St. Raymond Elementary School, East Rockaway, NY, 1990-91. 

She also served as principal at St. Raymond Elementary School, East Rockaway, NY, 1959-68; St. Ephrem Elementary School, Dyker Heights, 1974-83; St. Mary Elementary School in Manhasset, NY, 1983-88. 

Her funeral Mass and graveside service were private. Her burial was at St. Catherine’s Cemetery in Moscow, PA.