Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Fr. Maloney enjoyed serenity, parishioners
Fr. Maloney enjoyed serenity, parishioners
by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published June 13, 2008
Friends remembered Fr. Richard Maloney as a quiet, serene man with a dry sense of humor and a strong faith after his death last week. Fr. Maloney died June 5. He was 83.
Born Richard Edmund Maloney July 15, 1924 in Cincinnati, the son of Edmund and Mary Maloney, he attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit and Mount St. Mary Seminary in Norwood, Ohio.
He was ordained May 20, 1950 by Cardinal Edward Mooney in Detroit and celebrated his first Mass at St. Cecilia Parish, Detroit.
Fr. Maloney served as assistant pastor at Most Holy Trinity Parish, Detroit (1950-52); St. Philomena Parish, Detroit (1952-57); St. Cecilia Parish, Detroit (1957-62); St. Michael Parish, Monroe (1962-66); and St. Rose of Lima Parish, Detroit (1966-70).
He then served as pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Allenton (1970-85), and as vicar of the Thumb Vicariate (1983-85), before serving as associate pastor at Guardian Angels Parish, Detroit (1985-86) and then pastor of Guardian Angels (1986-95). Fr. Maloney attained senior priest status in 1995.
Rue Dewaelsche, who worked at Guardian Angels Parish for a decade with Fr. Maloney before his retirement, remembered his devotion and how he both enjoyed people and enjoyed his own company. She said she couldn't recall that she'd ever seen him angry, she said, remembering him as "a nice, gentle man."
There were former parishioners from Guardian Angels at the funeral, but also others from his other assignments, she said. "A lot of people cared about him," she said. "He was just a good priest."
Dewaelsche remembered Fr. Maloney as a good boss, too — almost too good, she laughed — who loved movies and sports. He lived with his sister until she died, and then stayed in the family house.
Fr. Arthur Fauser, who was ordained the same year as Fr. Maloney, also remembered his classmate to be a quiet, hard-working man, who enjoyed talking about old movies, and the actors in them.'
"He had a lot of depth to him," Fr. Fauser remembered. "He had a dry sense of humor. You couldn't quite tell if he was teasing you." Fr. Maloney had some tough tasks while pastor, Dewaelsche remembered, such as closing the convent and the parish school. But he handled it as well as he could, she said.
After he retired, he would often visit the parish, presiding over funeral Masses or visiting his friends; he also attended the parish's closing Mass two years ago.
She and a few other friends had gotten together with Fr. Maloney in April for dinner.
Fr. Fauser remembered that Fr. Maloney would often visit his parishioners' homes or attend their weddings. "He was well-loved by his parishioners," he said. "He was a good people-person. He was very good to his people."
A funeral Mass was celebrated Monday at St. Philomena Parish, with classmate Fr. Edward Scheuerman as homilist. Burial was in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Detroit.
Memorials suggested to Sacred Heart Major Seminary, 2701 Chicago Blvd., Detroit 48206; or St. Bonaventure Monastery, 1740 Mount Elliot, Detroit 48207.
Related Link:
 Death Notice: Fr. Richard E. Maloney
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