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The following is the text for the homily given Monday morning by

Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell during the funeral of retired


Springfield Bishop Joseph F. Maguire.
Bishop Rozanski, I thank you for the privilege of entering this
pulpit once again, although I wish the circumstances were
different.
On your behalf, and on behalf of the Maguire, Waystack and
Banks families, on behalf of Bishop Maguires niece and nephews:
Mary, Philip, Richard and Joseph, on behalf of all his relations, on
behalf of the entire Catholic Community of the Springfield
diocese, on behalf of Msgr. Christopher Connelly, the Cathedrals
Rector, and for myself, I thank everyone for being either here in
the Cathedral or joining us through television.
(Archbishop Vigano, the representative of our Holy Father
Pope Francis, Cardinal OMalley) my brother bishops, priests,
deacons, religious men and women, members of the Holy
Sepulchre Order, Knights of Columbus, (Representative Neal,
Mayor Sarno,) all you federal, state and civic officials, you first
responders here today representing police and fire officers
statewide, and most of all men and women, young and old, from
across the Commonwealth and beyond, the memory of Bishop
Maguire is honored by your presence. Thank you. God bless you.

Bishop Joseph Francis

Readings:

Maguire
Isaiah 52:7-10 (Christmas Day)
2 Timothy 4:6-8 (30OrdC)
Luke 24:13 -35 (3EasterA)

On the altar in the Chapel of the Bishops Residence on Elliot


Street, where for so many years Bishop Joseph Maguire offered
Mass and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament a constant
devotion of his life, theres a carving of Jesus seated at table with
the Emmaus disciples.

The scene is toward evening, the two

disciples had invited him in, not realizing he was more than an
intriguing stranger they had met on the road -- until they
recognized him in the breaking of the bread, and then he
disappeared from their sight. They had been drained, they had
been weary, they had been morose but his presence revivified
them, enlivened them. Their weariness they threw off and they
rushed, rushed back as fast as their feet would carry them over
the miles they had just come, rushed back up the mountain road
to Jerusalem, to bring the Good News.
I think of Bishop Maguire when I think of those two disciples,
rushing back How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of
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him who brings glad tidings. The joy, the eagerness, the energy
they expended to proclaim glad tidings are mirrored in the life and
ministry of Bishop Joseph Maguire.
He was constantly someone who proclaimed Good News,
Glad Tidings, Gospel joy! He was certainly always on the go. In
his youngest days, when his feet carried him swiftly, gliding
across the ice as part of the hockey team at Boston College or, in
those same years, as he swiftly rounded the bases, sliding many a
time into them, on BCs baseball team, he was consistently and
constantly a man on the go!
And when his feet landed him at the door of St. Johns
Seminary in Brighton, little did he dream where they would take
him; even if they did give out on him when a few weeks before
ordination, sliding into home base, he broke a leg -- but got the
run! Did you know that he was one of the few priests in history
ordained with his leg in a cast? Joe Maguire wouldnt let a little
thing like a broken leg slow him down.
The day after his ordination, cast and all, his feet mounted
the sanctuary steps to celebrate his First Mass, and he continued
celebrating Mass day in and day out until the last months of his
life when illness made it impossible. A few weeks after ordination,
in his first priestly assignment, those feet carried him around the
streets of St. Josephs Parish in Lynn, beginning thirty-one years of
service in the parishes, institutions and ministries of the
Archdiocese of Boston: curate in Readville, Jamaica Plain, Milton,
chaplain in the Army Reserve and the Massachusetts National
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Guard, secretary for nine years in turn to Cardinal Richard


Cushing and Cardinal Umberto Medeiros, pastor of St. John the
Baptist in Quincy, and then named auxiliary Bishop of Boston on
December 1st, 1971, exactly 43 years ago today. Tirelessly on the
go, the feet of one bringing glad tidings, preaching the Gospel,
celebrating Mass and the sacraments, comforting the sorrowful,
consoling the hurting, celebrating joyful occasions and constantly
being a support in the lives of the people he served.
And yet, those who knew him came to realize it wasnt in his
nature to speak about his accomplishments.

With his self-

deprecating humor, hed rather tell the tales of those times when
his feet did not carry him very well.

That icy, wintry day, for

example, when, having seen Cardinal Cushing into the car, he


started around the back to get to the drivers seat, slipped on the
ice and wound up wedged under the car, only to hear that
distinctive nasal voice saying, Fatha Joe, wheah ah ya? With his
natural aplomb, he extricated himself, got in and never averted,
at the time, to what had happened.
Its over thirty-eight years since he moved from his ministry
in Boston to Western Massachusetts to serve people here in the
Diocese of Springfield; yet, the impact he had as a priest and
auxiliary Bishop on so many lives in the Boston Archdiocese
continued in the ongoing contacts people made with him from
across the Commonwealth; they long remembered his goodness
to them in his priestly ministry in Boston.

The Diocese of Springfield quickly learned about Joseph


Maguire, Bishop Joe Maguire, Bishop Joe, on-the-go. He arrived as
Coadjutor in 1976, the Bicentennial year, and quickly manifested
his deep faith, gentle demeanor, compassionate heart and
prodigious memory for names and faces.

To this day he has

remained deeply beloved throughout Western Massachusetts. His


strong legs quickly took him to every corner in the diocese and
Bishop Joe soon was a familiar face throughout the diocese. In
many ways, his ministry as bishop here in the diocese, anticipated
Pope Francis words to bishops during last years World Youth Day
in Rio de Janiero:
The bishop has to be among his people in three ways:
-- in front of them, pointing the way;
-- among them, keeping them together and preventing them
from being
scattered;
-- and behind them, ensuring that no one is left behind, but
also,
and primarily, so that the flock itself can sniff out new
paths.
Its a good description of Bishop Maguire ministry in front
of, among, and behind the flock -- constantly emphasizing a
priestly, prophetic and shepherding role, always seeking to model
himself on Christ, the Good Shepherd, always encouraging people
to come closer to Christ, especially in the Eucharist.

If Ive

applied the verse how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet
of him who brings glad tidings, to his time as the Ordinary of the
Springfield Diocese, it might be said of him in the vernacular, that
he walked the walk and talked the talk.
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He accompanied

people on their spiritual journeys, he spoke in such a way that


they could understand where Christ was calling them; he truly
was a herald of Good News, Glad Tidings, and Gospel Joy. He was
with the flock in joy and sorrow, in good times and bad.
worked at being a true shepherd to all people.

He

When it came

to light that young people had been abused by priests under his
jurisdiction, he anguished over the pain those young people had
suffered, pain they carried into adulthood, pain many carry still.
His apologies were profound, moving and from the heart. He
asked for their forgiveness, regretting that he was not more aware
at the time of all that was happening, and prayed intensely each
day for God to ease their pain. He continued those prayers and
those regrets to the end of his life.
When, in the early 90s, his health began to give out and he
realized that he would no longer be able to accomplish all that he
had been doing, he thought first of the people of the diocese,
asking the Holy Father to send a new shepherd, one who would
have strength of limb for the people he loved.
He was to mentor in retirement four successors, four other
Ordinaries who depended on his wise counsel, gentle mentoring
and pastoral heart.

He was, in many ways, the institutional

memory of the Diocese of Springfield and he found a new role in


retirement as the dioceses heart. In his death, its as if the whole
diocese has lost its Grandpa.
In recent years there has come to be recognized whats
being called a ministry of presence. It basically involves being
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there with and for people in time of need. Bishop Maguire, in the
twenty three years of his retirement, was there in visiting
patients in hospitals, in reaching out to people in homes for the
elderly, in praying at wakes and funerals, in conversations and
visits and phone calls, and particularly in celebrating Mass and
the sacraments.

His ministry of presence, and the knowledge

that his prayers and his heart were with people in joy and in
sorrow, helped mitigate so many sad situations and enhance so
many joyous ones.

The feet were no longer so swift.

The

speedy pace of the skater and the base-runner gave way as the
years passed, to the slow shuffle of the cane and the walker; and,
in recent days, those steady legs gave out just about completely
so that he could hardly take a step without help. But the spirit
remained strong, the prayer life remained deep and the concern
for others remained constant. He who was, for more than ninetyfive years, the one who ministered to others, now found himself
on the receiving end of compassion and care, and it was lovingly
given and accepted with love. A very special word of thanks goes
to Helen Avis and her dedicated staff who took care of him: Julie,
Larry, Lee, Liz, Rose and Sonia.

You were truly there for him and

he was grateful, and we with him. And I have to mention Diane


Guyer who, following in the footsteps of Ronnie Donohue, helped
him keep contact with the outside world by newspaper, mail and
phone.
In his ministry of presence, I think Bishop Maguire again
anticipated Pope Francis, who loves to tell this story of his
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namesake. One day St. Francis of Assisi went out with a young
novice saying, Come, were going to preach the Gospel.

And

they walked through Assisi, up the hills and down; through the
streets and squares, but Francis never said a word. When they
got back home, the young novice asked him, Francis, I thought
we were going to preach the Gospel?

Francis looked at him,

smiled and said We just did, you dont always have to use
words.

The ministry of presence means that the Gospel is

preached by the care and the compassion, the love, the concern
manifested even without words by the presence of someone
who cares. That was Bishop Joseph Maguire.
Let me illustrate what I mean from Bishop Maguires own
words at the funeral of his beloved sister, Grace Waystack:
What comforts us also is the knowledge that so many who
are here have been touched and inspired by the life and example
of Grace.

Possibly some are present who are facing their own

problems and cares, but maybe we will all leave this church
renewed in faith all because of the witness of one good woman
whose goal in life was to reflect Gods love simply by word and
example.
As everyone here can attest, the words apply just as fittingly
to Graces brother, Joseph, whose word and example we cherish.
What comforts us also is the knowledge that so many who
are here have been touched and inspired by the life and example
of Bishop Maguire.

Possibly some are present who are facing

their own problems and cares, but maybe we will all leave this
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church renewed in faith all because of the witness of one good


man whose goal in life was to reflect Gods love simply by word
and example.
As I started with the verse, How beautiful upon the
mountain are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, let me end
with St. Pauls words from the Second Reading, for they too apply
to Bishop Joseph Francis Maguire: I am already being poured out
like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have
competed well, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
From now on, the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the
Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to
me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.
I know that, in these last months, despite his illness, Bishop
Maguire was ready for the next steps on his journey, the steps
into eternal life.
So, eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord our priest, our
pastor, our shepherd, our friend. May perpetual light shine upon
him. May he rest in peace.

May his soul and the souls of all the

faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

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