In top photo, Bishop O’Connell kisses the casket of Msgr. Walsh at the start of his Sept. 14 Mass of Christian Burial. Mike Ehrmann photo
By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor
Memorializing the life of Msgr. Michael J. Walsh, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., recalled St. Paul’s description of one who had “kept the faith.”
“I could not help but think how appropriately [those descriptions] can be placed beside this priestly life of more than 53 years,” Bishop O’Connell said during Msgr. Walsh’s Mass of Christian Burial.
The Bishop referred to the day’s Second Reading, from 2 Timothy 4:6-8, “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.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Msgr. Walsh funeral Mass
“In the end, what more could any priest hope to say?” Bishop O’Connell said. “Not that everything was easy, not that everything was successful, not that every decision was perfect. But: ‘I kept the faith.’”
Bishop O’Connell was principal celebrant and homilist of the Sept. 14 Mass of Christian Burial in St. James Church, Pennington, where Msgr. Walsh served as pastor from 2012 until he retired in 2021.
Among the hundreds in attendance were members of Msgr. Walsh’s family, the majority of whom flew in from Ireland, some 60 priest concelebrants, and numerous deacons and lay faithful from around the Diocese. Those unable to attend in person were able to view the livestream on the diocesan YouTube channel, which had been viewed nearly 5,000 times within days of the funeral.
‘Well done’
The Bishop described Msgr. Walsh as a faithful servant of the Diocese; pastor, teacher, friend and brother; and a son of Ireland who made New Jersey his home and the people of the Diocese his second family.
“Our sadness is real,” Bishop O’Connell said. “But the Word of God proclaimed today does not allow sadness to have the final word.”
“Michael Walsh loved being a priest. Michael kept the faith entrusted to him, and he tried to hand that faith on to others,” the Bishop said. “He entrusted others to the mercy of God. . . . Today, we entrust Michael to that same mercy. And now your brother priests, the people you served, the Diocese you loved, your family and friends entrust you to Christ.”
A native of Ireland, Msgr. Walsh studied for the priesthood at St. Patrick’s College, Thurles, and was ordained for the Diocese of Trenton on June 9, 1973. Among his most significant assignments was a 16-year tenure as associate director and later director of the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate. He also served as pastor of Holy Angels Parish (now part of St. Raphael-Holy Angels), Hamilton; St. Mary of the Lake Parish (now part of Our Lady of Guadalupe), Lakewood; St. Mary Parish, Middletown; and the parishes that later became known as the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley: St. James Parish, Pennington; St. George Parish, Titusville; and St. Alphonsus Parish, Hopewell. (More on the life and ministry of Msgr. Walsh may be found in his obituary by clicking here)
Known and loved
The ways in which people had known, loved and served with Msgr. Walsh varied, as many attested during his visitation and funeral.
Maureen Konczos recalled meeting then-Father Walsh in St. Raphael Parish, Hamilton, his first assignment in the Diocese of Trenton as a newly ordained priest, more than 50 years ago.
Noting that he presided over numerous sacramental celebrations for her family – weddings, Baptisms and funerals, she said.
“He did so much for everyone and didn’t want anything in return. He was so good to everyone and he was so humble. He was there when we needed him in every situation – sad times and good times.”
Konczos added that she appreciated the support he gave her nephew, Raymond Walsh, when he was preparing for ordination as a priest for the Archdiocese of Newark in 2025.
“A gentle giant” is how Cherie Quigley of St. Ann Parish, Keansburg, and her family have always remembered Msgr. Walsh from the time he became pastor of St. Mary Parish, Middletown, in the early 2000s.
Thinking back to when her children attended St. Mary School and then Mater Dei High School, Quigley praised Msgr. Walsh for setting an example for the students in the two schools as well as in the parish community.
“When you’re part of a Catholic community, you’re always looking for volunteers, and he was able to round up the troops and get people together,” Quigley said. She appreciated how Msgr. Walsh always encouraged the students to volunteer, especially with the Barn for the Poorest of the Poor, a local outreach that collects and delivers food to soup kitchens in New York and north Jersey.
Most inspiring was seeing Msgr. Walsh roll up his sleeves and volunteer too, she said. “He wasn’t one to say, ‘Go and do’ – he was right there doing as well.”
Quigley’s husband, Patrick, recalled Msgr. Walsh as being “someone who commanded respect when he walked into a room.”
From Msgr. Walsh’s example, Patrick Quigley said, “I learned how to be a better husband and father and friend.”
Brother to Brother
Ever since he was a seminarian, Father Jeffrey Lee, pastor of St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, has known Msgr. Walsh. The two later served together at St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Lakewood, where Father Lee was parochial vicar and Msgr. Walsh pastor.
One of the most important lessons Father Lee learned from his brother priest was “the importance of presence … being present to people, especially before and after weekend Masses.”
“I continue that practice today and have tried to witness that for the transitional deacons who have served with me through the years.”
Father Lee also admired Msgr. Walsh’s ability to remain attentive to the present while anticipating what was to come.
“Father Mike was in the moment all the time, and yet, at the same time, he was proactive for what was coming next. That was a real gift and one of the ways he was able to be so effective in his ministry,” Father Lee said.
Ministering to the Imprisoned
In the hours and days following the Sept. 7 death of Msgr. Michael J. Walsh at age 77, many warm memories were shared, each revealing new and often surprising details about his life and ministry since his ordination to the priesthood in 1973.
It is well known that Msgr. Walsh served in numerous parishes throughout the Diocese of Trenton as a parochial vicar and later as pastor, and that he held a variety of diocesan leadership positions. Yet it would be difficult to fully measure the breadth of his ministry or the impact he had on those fortunate enough to know him.
One lesser-known aspect of his priesthood that recently came to light was his service for some 25 years as a volunteer at New Jersey State Prison, where he celebrated Mass for inmates.
“It’s true,” said Dominican Sister Elizabeth Gnam, the prison’s Catholic chaplain. “He said ‘Yes’ when I asked if he would be willing to come. It was as simple as that!”
Sister Elizabeth said she wasn’t surprised that many people were unaware of Msgr. Walsh’s prison ministry.
“He went about his work quietly and without fanfare,” she said. “Msgr. Walsh’s prayerful celebration of Mass, his preaching that related to the men’s lives, combined with his approachability, kindness and compassion, made the men look forward to his visits. He will be missed by them.”
