The Catholic Standard and Times

President of Malvern Prep dies

Augustinian Father David J. Duffy, president of Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, died Jan. 9, 2006, at age 74. His funeral Mass was celebrated Thursday, Jan. 12, at St. Thomas of Villanova Church on the campus of Villanova University. Interment was at the Augustinian Burial Place, Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken.
A complete obituary will appear in next week’s issue of The Catholic Standard & Times.

Father Gerry Barnes, fisherman and ‘fisher of men,’ dies at age 69

Father Gerard Barnes

By CHRISTIE L. CHICOINE
CS&T Staff Writer

“I pray that I may live to fish until my dying day. And when it comes to my last cast, I then most humbly pray: ‘When in the Lord’s great landing net, and peacefully asleep, That in His mercy I be judged big enough to keep.’”

That poem, “A Fisherman’s Prayer,” written by the late Father Gerard J. Barnes, was recently found in in his handwriting, in his personal belongings.

Father Barnes, 69, a retired priest and avid fisherman, died Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, at Villa St. Joseph in Darby.

In his homily at the funeral Mass, Father Vito J. Carbone characterized Father Barnes as a man who fished both for recreation and to fulfill his priestly vocation. Father Carbone, who is parochial vicar of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Lower Makefield, was a seminary classmate of Father Barnes.

“When we think of Gerry, we think of fishing — so many of us went fishing or boating with him and had a very good time,” Father Carbone said. “Gerry was a fisherman and a ‘fisher of men’ — following in the footsteps and vocation of Peter, the first fisherman and fisher of men,” Father Carbone added.

Father Barnes was ordained May 19, 1962, at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul by then-Archbishop John J. Krol. Born July 14, 1936, in Philadelphia, he was the fourth of four children of the late Joseph H. and Hannah M. (Furey) Barnes.

“Because we were so close in age, we were like two peas in a pod,” said his sister, Sister, Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Barbara Anne Barnes, 70, of St. Martin of Tours Convent.

He attended St. Timothy School and Northeast Catholic High School for Boys in Philadelphia before entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood.

“He was in first grade when I was in second grade. I always loved the story he would tell me: ‘You are really the one who taught me how to read.’ And I would say, ‘Not true, Gerry. The Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Timothy’s ... were the ones,” Sister Barbara Anne said.

She did concede, however, “I guess ... when he needed help, his big sister, only a year ahead of him, was the one to try to give him a boost along the way.”

Throughout his priesthood, Father Barnes was filled with gentleness, compassion, kindness, generosity, humility and patience, Father Carbone said. He also had a profound love for prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist.

“Whenever we think of him and his priesthood, we recall [his] many simple yet profound and insightful words of wisdom — especially regarding the mercy and forgiveness of God,” Father Carbone said.

Father Barnes was also an artisan and builder. His sister recalled that when he was in the fifth grade, he and his friends built a 6-foot sailboat and sailed it in Wissanoming Park.

In his homily, Father Carbone also reminisced about Father Barnes’ creative talents: “In the homes of his family and friends can be found many delightful works of art and projects — and even at the Seminary, the two Christmas crêches which stood for years on the Seminary grounds, and the stations of the cross which were in the Seminary woods — were Gerry’s handiwork.”

He also liked to laugh and was known to deliver good humor, himself — “not slapstick, but real spirit-centered humor that came from a keen observation of life,” Father Carbone said. “Humor — so much humor, so many memories of Gerry bring a smile, chuckle and laughter — often roaring laughter. Gerry was a funny person. Humor is a sign of hope — hope which we celebrate in the victories of Christ,” added Father Carbone.

“Humor, after all, is hope in the human heart that recognizes that the limitations of human foibles — our own and those of others — do not destroy our relationship with God, do not destroy the human spirit, nor set the direction of human life. “Is this not what we celebrate in the victory of Jesus over sin and death? Humor recognizes a wisdom that comes from grace,” Father Carbone said.

Assignments included parochial vicar, St. Rose of Lima, North Wales; St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Essington; St. Patrick, Norristown; St. Francis of Assisi, Philadelphia; Annunciation B.V.M., Havertown; St. John Neumann, Bryn Mawr; Presentation B.V.M., Cheltenham; St. Helena, Center Square; and Our Lady of the Assumption, Strafford. He also served as an assistant director of a regional office of the Archdiocese’s Catholic Youth Organization and was a chaplain of the Boy Scouts of America.

In the 1980s, the brother and sister religious were stationed together at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Strafford — Father Barnes was a parochial vicar and Sister Barbara Anne lived at the convent and taught at nearby Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor.

“That was gift time to me,” his sister said. “They were wonderful times. It gave me great joy to see him coming out to say Mass. His homilies were always short, but so meaningful — ones that would really stay with you for the rest of the day.”

Father Barnes retired in 1988 for health reasons, and was a priest in residence at St. Mary of the Assumption in Phoenixville.

Since 1991, he had resided at Villa St. Joseph. Helen M. McConnell, the director of nursing at Villa St. Joseph, recalled Father Barnes as someone who had the patience of a “gentle giant.”

Known for his patience and subtle humor, he could always amuse the staff, even in the midst of a hectic day, she said. “Father had the ability, with a little smirk on his face, to say something like, ‘So, did anyone play my blood sugar number last night? I told you it was a winner,’” McConnell said.

“When we think of Father, we, too, wear a little smirk on our face as we miss one of God’s gentle giants,” she said.

Cardinal Justin Rigali celebrated the funeral Mass Monday, Jan. 9, at St. Francis Country House, Darby. Concelebrants included Bishop Emeritus Thomas J. Welsh of Allentown and Father Joseph A. Barnes of the Allentown Diocese, his brother, as well as Fathers Carbone, Anthony W. Dieckhaus and Gregory J. Hickey.

In addition to Sister Barbara Anne and Father Joseph A, Barnes, he is survived by another sister, Margaret M. Barton, two nieces, two nephews and 11 great-nieces and great-nephews. Interment was at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Birdsboro.

CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine may be reached at (215) 587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.

Compiled by
Joe Novetsky

Catherine Assal
Catherine D. Assal (born Dougherty) of Fox Chase, 94, wife of Paul V. Assal, died Jan. 1, 2006. The funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 5 at St. Cecelia Church. Burial was at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham. She was the mother of Daniel, James, Victorine Kolecki and Jerome. Also survived by 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She was asister of Elizabeth D. Leary. She was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Karel Assal.

Joseph Baffa
Joseph J. Baffa, 88, of Villanova, husband of the late Ruth Mae Baffa, died Dec. 31, 2005. The funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 5 at St. Thomas of Villanova Church. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery, Conshohocken. He was the father of John H. Baffa and Jay Baffa. Also survived by two grandchildren. He was a brother of Rose, Martha and Tilly.

Father Bernard Baumgartner
Father Bernard Baumgartner, C.Ss.R., a native of Philadelphia, died Jan. 1, 2006, at the age of 88. Father Baumgartner had served at St. Mary Parish in Annapolis, Md., since 1987. Born in Philadelphia, he grew up in St. Boniface Parish. He was ordained a Redemptorist in 1944. At one time, he served as pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish and St. Boniface Parish, both in Philadelphia. The funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 6 at St. Mary Church in Annapolis. Burial was in the churchyard. Survivors include a sister, Notre Dame Sister Mary Dolores Baumgartner; nieces; nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

Paul Belfiglio
Paul J. Belfiglio, 83, of Springfield, husband of Angela Belfiglio (born Viscido), died Dec. 24, 2005. Mr. Belfiglio was a retired teacher and musician. He taught for 14 years in the Ridley School District. He was a violinist with the Philly Pops, the Lansdowne Symphony, the Valley Forge Philharmonic and the Rose Tree Pops. The funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 30 at St. Kevin Church, Springfield. Burial was at SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Springfield. He was the father of Robert P., Dr. Stephen F., Lorraine Belfiglio-Finnegan and Barbara Jean Belfiglio-Fureman. Also survived by 13 grandchildren and three sisters.

Alice Hall
Alice Hall (born Foley) of Havertown, wife of the late Clarence A. Hall, died Jan. 1, 2006. The funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 5 at Sacred Heart Church, Havertown. Burial was at SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Springfield. She was the mother of Eleanor McDermott, Susan Joceville, Claire McCartha, Diane Young and the late Virginia and her husband James Dee. Also survived by 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She was a sister of Anne, Ruth, Jack, David and the late Sarah, Jim, Mary Lou and Kate.

Daniel Leary Jr.
Daniel J. Leary Jr., of Aston, died Dec. 27, 2005. He was the husband of the late Patricia S. Leary (born Cox). The funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 30 at St. Joseph Church, Aston. Burial was at Immaculate Heart Cemetery. He was the father of Patricia A. VanHorn; Michael T., Patrick K. and Maureen Leary; Colleen Kirby, and the late Daniel J. Leary Ill. Also survived by 17 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. He was a brother of Sister Kathleen Leary, S.S.J., Margaret Hosler and Jane Czersky.

Sarah Magolon
Sarah A. Magolon (born Sykes) of Glenolden, wife of the late John J. Magolon, died Dec. 29, 2005. The funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 5 at St. Joseph Church, Collingdale. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery, Yeadon. She was the mother of Barbara A. Komorowski, John J.F., Robert T. and Thomas R. Magolon. Also survived by 17 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. She was a sister of Helen Swartz.

Sister Celestine McCartan
Sister Celestine McCartan, S.S.J., the former Mary E. McCartan, died Dec. 19, 2005 at the age of 89. Born in Philadelphia, Sister Celestine entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1935. She served in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. The funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 23 at St. Joseph Villa, Flourtown. Burial was at the community cemetery. Surviving are cousins, Sister Immaculee Burke, O.S.F., Michael Burke, Sally Burke-Haggerty, and members of her congregation.