Obituary: Father Peter P. Nolan, Holy Ghost Father, served in archdiocese for decades
Father Peter P. Nolan, CSSp., an Irish-born missionary to Nigeria, a priest serving in the archdiocese since 1982, and an inveterate Irishman, died at...
Read More
CLOSE
America's oldest Catholic newspaper
Obituaries & Death Notices
Obituary: Father Aidan J. Walsh, former Veterans affairs chaplain, Milton pastor
Father Aidan J. Walsh, a priest of the archdiocese since his incardination on May 15, 1998, died in Boston on March 4, 2023. He was born in the Hub's...
Read More
Obituary: Msgr. Albert J. Contons, oldest and most senior priest of the archdiocese
Until just a few weeks ago, he was regularly returning to his home parish in South Boston to celebrate Mass. So, although he was just two months shy of...
Read More
Obituary: Msgr. Peter T. Martocchio, former pastor in Weymouth
Several of our priests texted me at the news of the death of Msgr. Peter Martocchio, their comments were roundly complimentary and best summed up as "he...
Read More
Obituary: Father Joseph P. McDermott, former Stoughton pastor and longtime prison chaplain
A beloved priest noted for his parish ministry and his prison ministry, Father Joseph P. McDermott died unexpectedly on Jan. 31 at Beth Israel Hospital...
Read More
Obituary: Father Ronald G. Calhoun, former pastor in Hudson
Father Ronald G. Calhoun, who has been experiencing declining health for several years, died in Uxbridge on Jan. 27, 2023. Born in Boston on March 17,...
Read More
Obituary: Msgr. Laurence W. McGrath, longtime seminary librarian
Generations of seminarians at St. John Seminary knew him and his library. Msgr. Laurence W. McGrath died at Regina Cleri in Boston's West End on Jan....
Read MoreObituary: Dick Flavin, Red Sox guru and Pilot sports columnist, dies at 86
Richard Patrick "Dick" Flavin, 86, of Quincy died Dec.28, 2022. Flavin was born on Dec. 7, 1936, in Boston and grew up in the Merrymount section of Quincy....
Read More
Death Notices
Deacon John J. Emmert
Deacon John J. Emmert (March 2) in Bourne. Funeral Mass celebrated March 14 at Corpus Christi, Sandwich, for the husband of Susan (Thibeault) Emmert, Bourne; and the father of Cari Tosh, Austin, Texas; and John, Medford. During his diaconal ministry in the Diocese of Fall River, the Boston native served at Corpus Christi, Sandwich. Committal services were private.
Father Paul D. Burns, CSS
Father Paul D. Burns, CSS (March 6) in Framingham. Funeral Mass celebrated March 13 at Sacred Heart Church, Milford, for the son of the late Alfred and Margaret (McDonnell) Burns; and brother of Donald, Billerica; and Barbara, Wells, Maine. During 60 years of priestly ministry, Father Burns served in assignments of the Stigmatine Fathers and Brothers in Washington, D.C.; Va.; Feeding Hills; Springfield; Milford; and, locally, at Stigmatine Seminary, Wellesley; and Espousal Retreat Center, Waltham. Father Burns was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Milford.
Rita (Nuss) Leyden
Rita (Nuss) Leyden (March 2) in Westport, Conn. Funeral Mass celebrated March 23 at Assumption Church, Westport, for the mother of Margaret Holda, Easton; Patricia Paul, Grafton; and Thomas, Westwood; and sister of Dorothy Finnegan, Edna Leyden, and Thomas Nuss, all of Great Neck, N.Y.; and the late Father Francis B. Nuss. Committal was private.
Father Aidan J. Walsh
Father Aidan J. Walsh (March 4) in Boston. Funeral arrangements pending for the son of the late John and Elizabeth (Gill) Walsh, and brother of the late Sister Mary (Donatus) Walsh, CSJ. During 72 years of priestly ministry, he served in assignments in the Diocese of Worcester; the United States Veterans Administration Hospital Chaplain Corps; Metropolitan Tribunal; Holy Family, Duxbury; and Saint Elizabeth, Milton. [Ed. -- The obituary for Father Walsh will be in the March 17, 2023, issue of The Pilot.]
Deacon John F. Boyle
Deacon John F. Boyle '00 (March 1) in Hingham. Funeral Mass celebrated March 10 at Saint Joseph Church, Holbrook, for the husband of Patricia (Whalen) Boyle, Hingham; and father of Catherine Ryan, John, Ellen Landry, and Kenneth, all of Holbrook. During his diaconal ministry, he served at Saint Joseph, Holbrook. Deacon Boyle was buried in Saint Mary Cemetery, Randolph.
Sister Nancy (Ann Richard) Brennan, CSJ
Sister Nancy (Ann Richard) Brennan, CSJ (March 5) in Framingham. Funeral Mass celebrated March 9 at Holy Family Chapel, Brighton, for the daughter of the late John and Mary (Whitley) Brennan and sister of Richard, Robert, James, and Janice McNiff, all of Boston. During 66 years of religious life, Sister Nancy served in congregational assignments at Saint John the Baptist, Quincy; Marian High School, Framingham; Pope John XXIII High, Everett; and Cathedral High, Boston. Sister Nancy was buried in Saint Stephen Cemetery, Framingham.
Regina (Caliri) Foley
Regina (Caliri) Foley (Feb. 15) in Dedham. Funeral Mass celebrated March 7 at Saint Mary Church, Dedham, for the sister of the late Sister Flavia (Mary Ernestine) Clairi, SNDdeN. Mrs. Foley was buried in Saint Joseph Cemetery, West Roxbury.
Msgr. Peter T. Martocchio
Msgr. Peter T. Martocchio (Feb. 26) in Boston. The son of the late John and Katherine (Feeney) Martocchio born in Watertown on Dec. 17, 1929, and ordained Feb. 2, 1957, he served in four parishes: Saint John the Evangelist, Chelmsford (1957-1963); Saint Edward, Brockton (1963-1977); Our Lady of Good Counsel, Quincy (1977-1984); Immaculate Conception, Weymouth (1985-2001); and as a senior priest since 2001. He was the brother of Mary Flanagan-O'Brien. [Ed. -- Funeral arrangements for Msgr. Martocchio were pending at Pilot Press time. His obituary will be in the March 10, 2023, issue of The Pilot.]
Carol (Roddy) Donovan
Carol (Roddy) Donovan (Feb. 17) in Stoughton. Funeral Mass celebrated Feb. 23 at Holy Name Church, West Roxbury, for the wife of Robert, Stoughton; and mother of Patrick, Winthrop; Joseph, Staten Island, N.Y.; and Erin, Los Angeles, Calif.; and sister of Sister Janet Roddy, MFIC, Augusta, Ga.; Clare Fedolfi, Hillsborough, N.H.; Ellen Ronzio, Maynard; Sylvia, Rio Rancho, N. Mex.; and Diane, West Roxbury. Mrs. Donovan was buried in Saint Joseph Cemetery, West Roxbury.
Jane (McGuirk) Richards
Jane (McGuirk) Richards (Jan. 31) in Cambridge. Funeral Mass celebrated Feb. 25 at Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church, Cambridge, for the mother of Robert, Lisa, Susan, Paul, Kathryn, all of Cambridge; and sister of Sister Christine Julie (Anne) McGuirk, SNDdeN, Ipswich; Michael and Mary Ellen, both of Cambridge. Committal services were private.
