A funeral was held on Monday for Father John Walsh at St. John Brébeuf Parish in Montreal’s LaSalle borough, where he served as pastor for 10 years before his retirement in 2010.
Walsh passed away on Nov. 9 at the age of 78, after suffering a massive heart attack while en route to preach at the funeral of a friend.
The private service, which was streamed online due to COVID-19 restrictions, was led by Father Raymond Lafontaine, a long-time friend and mentor.
Father John, as he preferred to be known, served as a Roman Catholic priest for over 50 years.
On Monday, he was being remembered for his generous spirit.
“Father John had a big personality and a big smile to match,” said Christian Lépine, Archbishop for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal, in a written statement.
“He needed both, in my view, to respond to the promptings of his big heart which oftentimes resulted in big projects.”
It was his “big heart,” according to Lépine, that led to his involvement with Nazareth House, which provides shelter and accompaniment for adults struggling with homelessness and mental health issues.
Just four days before Father John’s passing, the Nazareth community named a new shelter John’s House in his honour.
Following the mass, mourners lined Seymour Street, as Father John’s funeral procession drove by Nazareth House and John’s House for a final farewell.
Among those in attendance were Jacques and Sandra Hendisz.
The couple first got to know Walsh through Sandra’s work as a school teacher.
“He was a spiritual adviser at the school,” Jacques said.
It was following a traumatic incident at the school and Father John’s handling of the situation that they became friends some 25 years ago.
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“We used to often talk about mental health and particularly programs outside of a hospital,” said Jacques, the former executive director at the Douglas, a psychiatric hospital in Montreal.
“You know, no matter how good that hospital is, it’s not a place to keep patients in for a long time,” he said.
“He sort of felt that intuitively, that you’ve got to get people out into the community and that’s what he did. He did great work.”
Sylvain Pitt said it was important for him to be present as a way to honour Father John and make sure he’s not forgotten.
“He did a lot of good things for this city,” Pitt said.
“He was a great leader and really down to earth. He wasn’t snobbish or anything. You could just come up to him and talk to him about anything you really wanted to talk about and he would listen and offer his advice.”
For the Hendisz’, the best way to to ensure Father John and his memory lives on is to emulate what he stood for.
“We should be open to everyone, we should meet people as equals, we should be kind, we should be generous and we should be caring of all human beings,” said Jacques.
“That’s what he stood for, that’s what he came across as.”
Father John’s community involvement wasn’t limited to Nazareth House, however.
In 2017, he was named to the Order of Canada with the general governor of Canada citing Walsh as “a tireless supporter of various causes,” including his role as co-founder of the “PROCURE Walk of Courage, which raises awareness of and funds for the fight against prostate cancer.”
Walsh, a writer, painter and scholar, was also pursuing a PhD in theology at Concordia University.
He is survived by his sister Marlene Robitaille, and her children and their families.
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