Thursday, July 7, 2011

In Memoriam, Msgr. McCourt and Bruce Brown

These past two week have been tough for my church, St. Pascal’s and me personally as we lost two wonderful men, our retired pastor Monsignor Robert “Barney” McCourt and our long time choir director Bruce Brown.

When my wife and then infant son first moved to Saint Albans, Queens back in February 2006, Msgr. McCourt and Bruce’s wife Gladys were the first to greet us. They welcomed us with the proverbial open arms and we’ve felt at home ever since. I met Bruce that day and he was a lovely man, putting his heart and faith into leading the choir every week. Msgr. McCourt baptized my son a few months after we joined the parish. Both were caring, helpful men who gave of themselves freely. It was because of them and the other great parishioners of the parish for why I decided to become active in the church’s leadership.

Msgr. McCourt and Bruce died within a week of each other and their masses (the Mass of Tansferral for the monsignor and the Funeral Mass for Bruce) were moving tributes to both and a celebration of their lives. I miss them dearly and thank God that I was fortunate to be part of their lives over the last five years.

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