Letter from Bulletin of August 31, 2003

Dear Parishioners,

Last weekend I made a quick two day trip to New York City to attend the Vigil Service and Funeral Mass for Msgr. Phillip J. Murnion. For the past thirty years Phil has been a little known but enormously significant leader in the U.S. Catholic Church; for me, since 1969 he has been a very close and dear friend.

A priest of the Archdiocese of New York, he was founder and director of the National Pastoral Life Center. The Center was established in 1983 to serve parishes and pastoral leadership of the Church from pastors to pastoral ministers, Diocesan personnel and bishops. As part of his personal gifts and part of the Center’s work he helped bring the R.C.I.A. to fruition in our country, served as editor of Church Magazine, developed national courses for new pastors, established a highly regarded annual convention for pastoral leaders, served as inspiration and consultant to the Roundtable Associates of Social Action Directors across the U.S., and directed the Common Ground Initiative which was begun in 1996 by the late Cardinal Bernadin to foster dialogue in the Church.

As a priest sociologist he conducted ground breaking studies of parish developments, pastoral ministries and the Notre Dame study of Parish Life, as well as directing the U.S. Bishops five year Parish Project.

While not well known or highly publicized among average Catholic parishioners, Phil, his Center and his vision have had great influence on parish life and pastoral leaders. He was quite possibly the only Church leader in the U.S. today with such extensive and effective connection with practically every major national Church association for ministry as well as acceptance and support from a high number of U.S. Bishops and their National Conference. Phil was a dedicated and determined “centrist” in a Church torn by extremes and polarized by debate from left and right. The work of the Center he founded will continue the vision and pastoral service to which he devoted his life.

I came to know Phil well when we lived together for two years (1969-70) at St. Gregory’s in New York. He was earning his doctorate in sociology at Columbia as I pursued graduate studies in theology and education at Manhattan College. Since those dear and exciting days we never lost contact.

Last October I spent three days as a presenter along with him at his annual Pastoral Leadership Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. During my recent ten week sabbatical, I stayed a for a week with him at the Holy Name Center for Homeless Men in New York’s Bowery , the place he housed the Center and called home for the past two decades. Just three weeks ago I made a lightning visit to New York for a quickly called one day meeting of the Center’s Board of Trustees and a one hour visit with Phil at the NYU Medical Center and Hospital. Typically for Phil, much of the conversation and all of his concern was about me and my welfare rather than about him and his health. I still have on my answering machine his last call to me when he phoned to ask how I was doing, and quietly added, “I’m not doing so well myself.”

At the Vigil Service, his brother recounted how Phil awoke late at night in his hospice bed surrounded by family members. When told what the time was he said “Go home; go home; you should all be at home.” Then he added, “I want you to stay, but go home!” His brother then concluded by addressing Phil’s remains, “We want you to stay, but go home Phil, go home!”

Phil was 65, celebrated his 40th anniversary as a priest this year and passed away after a year and half struggle with colon cancer. It was a struggle that barely slowed him down until his very last days.

His death is a great loss for the Church, for parish life, and certainly for me personally. I just wanted you to know.

Your Pastor,
Brian Joyce