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May 31, 2022Father Patrick John McGarrity, C.Ss.R., a member of the St. John Neumann community at Stella Maris, Timonium, Maryland, died May 27, 2022, at the age of 86 years and 5 months.
Born January 22, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, he was the son of Patrick and Margaret (Harrington). They had five children in total: Edward (Eileen), Patrick, Helen (Andrew), James (Barbara) and Margaret, and lived happily in Brooklyn, NY for many years.
Baptized February 2, 1936, and confirmed on November 10, 1946, at the Redemptorist parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Brooklyn, he went on to study at St. Mary’s Minor Seminary in North East, PA from 1950 to 1956. He professed temporary vows at St. Mary’s College, Ilchester, Maryland on August 2, 1956 and final vows, Esopus, NY, on September 2, 1959.
He completed his theological studies at Mt. St. Alphonsus, Esopus, New York, where he was ordained to the priesthood on June 18, 1961. He was assigned to graduate work in English at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, from which he obtained the M.A. in 1964. He then began a teaching assignment at St. Alphonsus College, Suffield, CT from 1964 to 1972. His work with young Redemptorists continued as Prefect of Students at Mount St. Alphonsus from June 1972 to 1977. At the time he was most interested in assembling students for social justice work and helped launch the first cadre of men to develop the People’s Place, a social service agency in Kingston, New York. He went on to serve on the Province Mission Band between 1977 and 1984 and was based at Holy Redeemer College in Washington, D.C. He then returned to academic life as rector of St. Alphonsus College, Suffield, between 1984 and 1990.
It is impossible to adequately describe the impact that Fr. Pat had on the lives of his family, congregations, and thousands of other people he served as a priest. His proudest moments, however, came when counseling hundreds of individuals and couples, and the students and priests he taught as a professor at Catholic University and while in charge of the Redemptorist seminary in Suffield, CT.
Father McGarrity’s intellectual acumen was matched by his compassion for others. He received training at New York University in psychology and trained as a counselor at the Gestalt Center in New York. He supplemented this with courses in education and human sexuality at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut, and at American University in Washington, DC.
His parish assignments included ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes, New Holland, PA where he was pastor from June 1990 to 1999; St. Anthony’s, Lancaster, PA where he was rector from 1999 to 2005; St. Clement’s Mission House, Ephrata, PA where he was rector from 2005 to 2011, and in residence from 2011 to 2022. For health reasons he moved to St. John Neumann Residence, Stella Maris, Timonium.
Fr. Pat’s sister (Helen Zipfel of Ephrata, PA) and extended family, that includes dozens of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews, greatly mourn the loss of their “Uncle Pat.” He was their much-loved uncle and priest serving four generations of the extended McGarrity family.
Funeral Information for Pat McGarrity, C.Ss.R.
Friday, June 3rd at 7 p.m. Wake Service
Saturday, June 4th at 11 a.m. Funeral Liturgy with burial to follow
Both the Wake Service and Funeral Liturgy will take place at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church; 320 Church Avenue; Ephrata, PA 17522
Burial to take place in Redemptorist Plot behind St. Clement Mission House in Ephrata, PA.
