WOODBURY – Deacon John Brian Kearney and his wife, Catherine, were the parents of 15 children, but that didn’t stop them from inviting others to call their house “home.”
“That’s just the way they were,” said their son John E. Kearney, the ninth born. “Even though they had all of us, there were always extra kids around, too. We still joke about – the more the merrier.”
The more was indeed the merrier as multiple generations of family came together July 16 for a picnic at The Woodbury Mews to celebrate a few months early the 100th birthday of Deacon Kearney, who was ordained in 1976 – the very first permanent diaconate class in the Diocese of Camden.
Father Nicholas Dudo, diocesan vicar for clergy, and Father Peter Gallagher, parochial vicar of Holy Angels, the parish center of which is located next door to the retirement community, were also in attendance to congratulate and visit with the deacon.
Wearing a white sailor’s hat with the number 100 emblazoned across the top in gold, Deacon Kearney smiled as sons and daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren sang “Happy Birthday.”
Those memories would become bittersweet, as four days later, July 20, Deacon Kearney passed away suddenly.
“We lost a great man, but after 17 years, he is reunited with his Catherine,” said his son-in-law Michael Gross.
Born Oct. 27, 1922, in Donegal Township, Pa., Deacon Kearney was the son of the late Patrick J. and Maude (Horr) Kearney. He was predeceased by Catherine V. (Williams) Kearney, his wife of 59 years, and by children Michael Kearney, Patricia Lentini, Brian P. Kearney, Margaret Mary Kearney and Gerald Kearney.
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy as an electronics engineer. He went on to work as an electrical engineer at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Naval Air Engineering Laboratory, Frankford Arsenal. He was employed as a supervisor of shipbuilding for USN, Camden, and finally the Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, Pa., from which he retired on Oct. 27, 1977.
On Oct. 4, 1976, Kearney and 26 other men were ordained by Bishop George Guilfoyle as the first permanent deacons for the Diocese of Camden.
“He was so proud to be part of the first diaconate class, and my mom was proud of my dad. We all were,” said son Paul Kearney of Christ the King Parish, Haddonfield, who was a teenager in Gloucester Catholic High School during that time.
“Every morning, there were announcements over the loudspeaker, and they congratulated those of us children whose fathers were becoming the first deacons,” he said. “I’ll never forget that.”
He continued, “My dad becoming a deacon made me more curious about our faith. As a teenage boy, you go to religion class and church, but when your dad is going above and beyond … it was like, ‘Wow.’”
Long before the diaconate, however, faith and service were a way of life in the Kearney household. When not at work, their father could be found at Mass or serving at the parish, his children in tow.
On the home front, the Kearney siblings attended Catholic schools, prayed the Rosary together and not only attended Mass regularly, but were often responsible for accompanying their elderly neighbors to church, too.
“We would visit them on the weekends, keep them company,” said John Kearney, who recently retired from teaching at Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill, after 44 years.
Added Paul Kearney, “Service was a way of life. Mom even took one woman out of a nursing facility and brought her home, and we took care of her.”
In addition, the Kearneys not only welcomed their children’s friends into the home, but neighborhood kids, too – one after his family’s house caught fire, others whose parents were going through a divorce or widowed and needed respite.
“The family was always the most important,” John Kearney said. “Everything was structured that we were a family unit that looked out for each other. And that’s been passed on to the next generation. They would be proud.”
Such service was all rooted in a love of God, said Deacon Kearney’s daughters Anne Gross of Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, Saint Vincent Pallotti Church, Haddon Township, and Kitty Palumbo, who lives in Georgia.
“We knew Dad believed and had a strong faith, and we followed him,” Anne Gross said.
Deacon Kearney’s first assignment as a deacon was at Mary, Mother of the Church, Bellmawr (1976-1978). He also served at Saint Vincent Pallotti, Haddon Township (1978-1984), and Sacred Heart, Mount Ephraim (1984-1988). Additionally, he also served in hospital ministry from 1976 to 1983.
In addition to his children Catherine (Kitty) E. Palumbo (the late Joseph), Anne Gross (Michael), John E. Kearney (Carol) and Paul Kearney, he was the loving father of Frances X. Kearney (the late Deborah), Marie Hunter (William), Joseph Kearney (Catherine), Clare Kearney, Stephen Kearney (Mary Kathryn), Mark Kearney (Jill), and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
As a deacon, he baptized and confirmed many of his grandchildren and officiated at the marriage of some of his children.
Deacon Kearney is also survived by his sister, Florence Reed; daughter-in-law, Rory Kearney; son-in-law, Tony Lentini.
“I’m so proud of my dad,” Paul Kearney said. “Among the gifts he passed down to his family were kindness, belief and knowing that when you have your downtimes, God is there. And if you can’t sleep: pray.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated July 26 at Saint Mary’s Church, Gloucester City. Interment was at Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, N.J. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in memory of Deacon Kearney be made to: Cathedral Kitchen, 1514 Federal St., Camden, N.J., 08105.
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