COVID -19 Deaths, MSC US.
We offer our sympathies and consolation to the US Province on their three deaths this week. And sympathy to the Spanish, French and Belgian Provinces for their losses.
Fr Jim Miller writes: This past week we lost three of our MSC community here at Sacred Heart Villa to the Covid-19 virus: Brother George Farkas died on May 29, followed by Brother Joseph Tesar who died on June 2 and finally Father Jack Paul who died in the last hour of June 2. Although this is a great loss for our community and USA MSC Province, we are comforted that they now rest in the arms of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whom they served so diligently in their lives.
Their obituaries reveal an extraordinary variety of ministries over almost 7 decades.
BROTHER JOSEPH K. TESAR, MSC
Brother Joseph Keith Tesar, MSC died on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at 8:40 PM, at Manor Care Nursing Home, Bethlehem, PA. He was 87 years old.
He was born in Denver, Colorado on December 29, 1932 and was adopted by Stephen and Mary (Connor) Tesar, both now deceased. He received his primary education at St. Mary’s in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and at St. Francis de Sales in Denver, CO, as well as St. Michael’s in Galena, Illinois. He also spent a few months each at schools in Clinton, Iowa, and in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
In 1947, he entered the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Mission Seminary in Geneva, Illinois, where he completed four years of secondary education and one year of college. In 1952, he entered the novitiate of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Youngstown, Ohio and made his first profession of vows on September 14, 1953. He continued studies at Sacred Heart Seminary, Shelby, Ohio and made his perpetual profession of vows on September 14, 1956. He continued studies in Shelby until 1959.
Br. Tesar’s first assignment was to the MSC community in Youngstown, Ohio, where he did kitchen and house work, in addition to maintenance, from 1960 until 1962. He then transferred to Sparta, Wisconsin, where he continued this work in 1962-63. In 1963, he returned to Youngstown, where he remained until 1970. During that time he was also involved in social work in the wider Youngstown community.
He was then appointed to the vocation department, first at Geneva, Illinois from 1970-73, and then in Watertown, New York, from 1973 until 1975. The following year he devoted to special studies, at the end of which he was appointed as a hospital chaplain as a member of the MSC community in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he lived until 1979. In that year, he moved back to Watertown, NY where he began and managed the Christian Care Center there for the disadvantaged. He continued in that role until 1989. During that time, he ministered as a prayer leader and counselor for people who came to the Christian Care Center needing help.
In 1989, his ministry took on a whole new dimension. He headed for the overseas missions in Papua New Guinea (PNG). In November 1989, he became a member of the community at St. Joseph Vocational Training School, Fissoa, on the island of New Ireland. He engaged in renewal ministry there with students and families. In January 1992, until 1995, Br. Joe assisted in a two-year formation program for diocesan seminarians at Tuias Spirituality Centre on New Ireland. In 1994, he became the director of this program. One year later, in 1995, he was appointed to coordinate the Charismatic renewal in the diocese of Kavieng. He gave workshops at various parishes and published a periodic newsletter about the Charismatic renewal. Later on, he once again directed candidates for the priesthood in the diocese of Kavieng during their year of discernment at the Tuias formation centre.
Later, after the year 2000, Br. Joe moved to the archdiocese of Rabaul. He directed pre-novices and novices there for a short time. He then went to Chanel College, a secondary school and seminary, where he was a spiritual director. He also provided spiritual direction to other people during his time there. In 2006, he returned to the USA and was assigned to the Aurora, Illinois community. He assisted in spiritual direction there, as well as in volunteer work at Hesed House, assisting the homeless and disadvantaged.
In 2013, he moved to Sacred Heart Villa in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, to enjoy his years of retirement. Later he lived at Manor Care Nursing Home, Bethlehem, PA until the end of his life.
Father John J. Paul MSC
Father John J. Paul, MSC died on June 2, 2020, at around midnight. He was 87 years old.
He was born in Laureldale, Pennsylvania on October 8, 1932 to Walter A. Paul Sr. and Edith M. (Wenrich) Paul. He graduated from Holy Guardian Angels Parochial school, Reading, PA in 1946. In that same year he entered the Sacred Heart Mission Seminary in Geneva, Illinois, where he completed four years of secondary education and one year of college studies. In 1951, he entered the novitiate of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, in Shelby, Ohio, and concluded his novitiate in Youngstown, Ohio. He made his first profession of vows on September 14, 1952. He continued with studies for the priesthood at Sacred Heart Seminary in Shelby for three years, making perpetual profession of vows on September 14, 1955.
He then traveled to Rome, Italy, where he studied at the Gregorian University until 1959, receiving the degree of Licentiate in Sacred Theology. Fr. Paul was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph Gawlina, D.D, in Rome, Italy on July 13, 1958. He then returned to the USA and continued studies at the Catholic University, and in 1962 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Canon Law. His first assignment thereafter was as a teacher at Sacred Heart Seminary, Shelby, Ohio. In 1964, he became director of the theologate program, first at Shelby and later at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois.
From 1973 until 1985, Fr. Paul was a member of the provincial council. In 1982, he became superior of the MSC community in Youngstown, Ohio, a position he held until January, 1992. Beginning in 1971, he served as a judge in various diocesan tribunals, including those of Chicago and Youngstown. He served as a judge on the Provincial Tribunal and was the chairman of the Ministry to Members Board from 1985 until 1991. In January of 1992, he was appointed parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish in Nazareth, PA., and as a part-time pro-synodal judge for the tribunal of the Allentown, PA diocese. In August 1996, Fr. Paul was appointed to the Reading, PA community as superior. He then served full time on the Allentown diocese marriage tribunal.
On July 1, 2001, the Reading and Center Valley, PA communities became the Pennsylvania community, and Fr. Paul was appointed superior. On December 19, 2002, Bishop Edward Cullen appointed him as Judicial Vicar for the Allentown Diocese Tribunal. In 2007, Fr. Paul moved to Sacred Heart Villa in Center Valley, PA, where he lived for the rest of his life, except for the last few weeks. He continued to work in the Allentown diocese tribunal, doing so from the Villa when he could no longer drive.
Brother George Farkas, MSC
Brother George Farkas MSC died on Friday, May 29, 2020, at about 1 AM, at Manor Care Nursing Home, Bethlehem, PA. He was 88 years old.
He was born in Northampton, Pennsylvania on July 23, 1931 to George and Sophia (Baziak) Farkas. He graduated from Assumption Parochial school, Northampton, PA in 1945, and from Northampton High School in 1949. He attended Bethlehem Business School, Bethlehem, PA, in 1953-54. From 1955 to 1968, he worked at Cement National Bank in Northampton.
In 1970, he entered the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart novitiate in Shelby, Ohio, and made his first profession of vows on June 12, 1972. As a novice, he was assigned to the keeping of accounts, which he continued to do throughout his religious life. After the novitiate, he remained in Shelby until 1976, making perpetual profession of vows on May 22 of that year. Br. George was then assigned to Aurora, Illinois, where he was the provincial treasurer from 1980 until 1992. While in Aurora, in addition to his duties as treasurer, he regularly preached in the Mission Cooperative Plan throughout the United States. He was a member of the core staff of the provincial administration.
In September 1992, Br. George was assigned to Youngstown, Ohio, where he assisted in managing the financial affairs of the Youngstown community and the retreat house. In July 1996, he was assigned to Reading, PA for various community service ministries. In June 2000 Br. George returned to Aurora where he continued his community service ministry. He also participated in ministry to the Aurora community at large by working with the homeless at Hesed House, working the late evening and early morning hours overseeing the men’s sleeping quarters there. He later retired and moved to our community in Center Valley, PA. In 2015, he moved to Manor Care Nursing Home in Bethlehem, PA, where he lived for the remainder of his life.
