Longtime St. Stephen’s summer associate Father Flor McCarthy dies in Ireland

On Wednesday, Jan. 24, the parishioners of the Church of St. Stephen, the First Martyr, were notified that Father Flor McCarthy, a beloved and longtime summer associate priest, had passed away peacefully that morning in County Kerry, Ireland.

At the time of his death McCarthy, a member of the Salesian Community in Crumlin, a suburb of Dublin, had been under the care of the staff of the Palliative In-patients Unit, University Hospital in County Kerry.

Until 2013, his last year as a summer associate, McCarthy had served four pastors at St. Stephen’s for more than 30 years going back to the time when the church was located on South Street. However, in 2015 he returned for a three-week visit.

“It’s like I’ve never been away,” he said at that time. “I love it here and I love the people.”

The parishioners at St. Stephen’s know him as a talented homilist who offered clear explanations in modern terms of gospels written more than 2,000 years ago. And as a well published author he conducted evening writing classes for anyone interested. Everyone also appreciated his natural Irish humor.

Following one mass, for example, he mentioned that many people had asked him how things were going in Ireland, which had recently experienced a severe downturn in its economy.

“On St. Patrick’s Day,” McCarthy said, “the Irish Prime Minister presented President Obama with a lovely bowl of shamrocks. It’s an old custom but this year the Prime Minister asked if he could have the bowl back.”

To read the official obituary visit: https://rip.ie/death-notice/fr-flor-mccarthy-sdb-crumlin-dublin/446338

- Roger Gavan