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By Marcy Vandale ’87
Holy Cross students are part of a close-knit community involving peers and dozens of professors, administrators and staff. Following graduation, class letters and Holy Cross Magazine keep alums up-to-date on College news and activities, but every once in a while, we all wonder what became of a particular person.
We decided to ask, “What ever happened to Fr. George O’Brien ’54, former director of development?”
The quick answer is that he celebrated his retirement Mass last June after 48 years of service to the Diocese of Worcester. He currently resides on Cape Cod, in South Yarmouth, Mass., often saying Mass at St. Pius X Church.
Five decades of service
Fr. O’Brien held eight assignments during his almost half-century of ministry, and although each post brought different challenges, the one constant was his knack for making friends.
A native of Worcester and a graduate of St. John’s High School, then located in Worcester, Fr. O’Brien came to Holy Cross as a member of the Class of 1954. He went on to the seminary—St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia—and was ordained to the priesthood in 1958.
His first assignment, in 1958, was at St. Mary’s Church in North Grafton, Mass., followed by a year at St. Augustine in Millville, Mass. In his next three parish assignments, Fr. O’Brien served for longer periods of time—fostering relationships with parishioners who became lifelong friends. No doubt the parishioners of St. Leo’s in Leominster, Mass., where he served from 1960-1965, were sad to see him leave when St. Joseph’s Church in Auburn, Mass., needed a new associate pastor. Fr. O’Brien served at St. Joseph’s from 1965 until 1969, when he moved to Our Lady of Good Counsel in West Boylston, Mass.
Reflecting on parish life and ministry, Fr. O’Brien says that he most enjoyed “working closely with people and parishioners and truly being a father figure.”
Life at Holy Cross
After a brief stint in the Worcester Diocese’s Marriage Tribunal, Fr. O’Brien came to Mount St. James in 1976 for a two-year assignment at the College, overseeing fund-raising activities as the director of development. This relationship worked for everyone involved—the diocese, Holy Cross and Fr. O’Brien—and two years quickly turned into 18 years. Fr. O’Brien’s lengthy service at Holy Cross contributes perhaps to the common misperception that he is a Jesuit priest, when in actuality he is a diocesan priest.
During his 18 years as director of development, Fr. O’Brien interacted with graduates and students. While most of his time was spent raising money for the College and traveling the nation to meet with alumni donors and friends, he still found time to become involved with the students.
In the late 1970s, Fr. O’Brien began his ministry as chaplain to the football and basketball teams.
“My fondest recollections of service at Holy Cross were the times I was able to be available to students, even though it wasn’t part of my job,” he recalls. “Interacting with and helping the Worcester-area students and the athletes was a great byproduct of my work at Holy Cross.”
In those days, there was often a good chance of finding Fr. O’Brien—day or night—in his O’Kane office, Loyola Hall residence, the Hart Center, Fitton Field or St. Joseph Memorial Chapel.
The “new” Holy Cross
Eventually, the Diocese of Worcester needed Fr. O’Brien to serve in a parish; as a result, in 1994, he was transferred to Holy Cross Church in East Templeton, Mass. The similarity of the names caused a bit of confusion as he settled into his role of pastor for the first time.
“Returning to parish life was a big change, principally because it had changed dramatically since 1973,” he recalls. “The increased involvement of the laity was a positive thing but also a necessary one. When I came to Holy Cross Church, I was the only priest—which meant I had to be on top of everything and cover every event. When I left St. Leo’s in 1965, I was one of three associates that the pastor had to assist him.”
Never one to sit back, Fr. O’Brien reestablished the Parish Council, renewed the CCD program and built a new parish center during his eight years at Holy Cross Church. As the saying goes, once a fund-raiser, always a fund-raiser.
In 2005, with Holy Cross Church in good shape spiritually and financially, Fr. O’Brien was given the green light to anticipate retirement from active ministry in a parish. On June 25, many of the friends that Fr. O’Brien had known during his 48 years of service gathered with him to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving.
Leisure time
Just a few months into retirement, Fr. O’Brien still feels as though he is on summer vacation.
“Good health and serving the church in a leisurely fashion with less responsibility” are among his hopes for the future, he says.
Traveling, gardening, stamp collecting and reading will fill his time, as well as visits from his seminary buddies and the friends he has made over a lifetime. And, of course, there are the sporting events at Fitton Field and the Hart Center, where he’ll be cheering on his Crusaders!
Marcy Vandale ’87 is a member of the GAA’s Communications Committee.
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