Monsignor Mark Deering, know to generations of Waco residents simply as Father Mark, died Friday morning at Providence Hospice Place.He was 94.
Deering’s first and only assignment as a newly ordained priest was Waco.He arrived two months after the devastating Waco tornado on May 11, 1953.Deering was born on Nov. 6, 1921 in Ballybit, Rathvilly, County Carlow Ireland, the eighth of 10 children.
He was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1953, at Kieran’s College in Kilkenny, Ireland.He was appointed to the Diocese of Austin and arrived in Central Texas on July 22, 1953.
He served as pastor of St. Mary’s of the Assumption Catholic Church from 1953 until Sept. 1, 1963 when he was appointed director and chaplain of the Regis Retirement Residence in Waco.
He was involved extensively in the development of Reicher Catholic High School, which opened the next year, supervised the construction of St. Louis Catholic Elementary School, which was completed in 1963, and then on Sept. 1, 1964, was named the first pastor of the new St. Louis Parish, which held masses in the school’s cafetorium while the church was built.St. Louis Catholic Church opened with its first Sunday mass on June 9, 1968.
Deering was awarded the title of monsignor on Dec. 28, 1976, and after 47 years as the church’s pastor, retired in October 2000.
In 2003, to mark the 50th anniversary of his priesthood, many area residents traveled to Kilkenny, Ireland to celebrate mass with Deering and his Irish family.
Service: Tuesday, June 7th, 2016
Location St. Louis Catholic Church
Address 2001 N. 25th St Waco, Texas
Bishop Joe S. Vasquez Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Garcia Bishop Emeritus John McCarthy will deliver the homily
Holy Cross Cemetery Waco, TX
WACO, Texas (KWTX)
Deering’s first and only assignment as a newly ordained priest was Waco.He arrived two months after the devastating Waco tornado on May 11, 1953.Deering was born on Nov. 6, 1921 in Ballybit, Rathvilly, County Carlow Ireland, the eighth of 10 children.
He was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1953, at Kieran’s College in Kilkenny, Ireland.He was appointed to the Diocese of Austin and arrived in Central Texas on July 22, 1953.
He served as pastor of St. Mary’s of the Assumption Catholic Church from 1953 until Sept. 1, 1963 when he was appointed director and chaplain of the Regis Retirement Residence in Waco.
He was involved extensively in the development of Reicher Catholic High School, which opened the next year, supervised the construction of St. Louis Catholic Elementary School, which was completed in 1963, and then on Sept. 1, 1964, was named the first pastor of the new St. Louis Parish, which held masses in the school’s cafetorium while the church was built.St. Louis Catholic Church opened with its first Sunday mass on June 9, 1968.
Deering was awarded the title of monsignor on Dec. 28, 1976, and after 47 years as the church’s pastor, retired in October 2000.
In 2003, to mark the 50th anniversary of his priesthood, many area residents traveled to Kilkenny, Ireland to celebrate mass with Deering and his Irish family.
Service: Tuesday, June 7th, 2016
Location St. Louis Catholic Church
Address 2001 N. 25th St Waco, Texas
Bishop Joe S. Vasquez Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Garcia Bishop Emeritus John McCarthy will deliver the homily
Holy Cross Cemetery Waco, TX
WACO, Texas (KWTX)
Monsignor Mark Deering, know to generations of Waco residents simply as Father Mark, died Friday morning at Providence Hospice Place.He was 94.
Deering’s first and only assignment as a newly ordained priest was Waco.He arrived two months after the devastating Waco tornado on May 11, 1953.Deering was born on Nov. 6, 1921 in Ballybit, Rathvilly, County Carlow Ireland, the eighth of 10 children.
He was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1953, at Kieran’s College in Kilkenny, Ireland.He was appointed to the Diocese of Austin and arrived in Central Texas on July 22, 1953.
He served as pastor of St. Mary’s of the Assumption Catholic Church from 1953 until Sept. 1, 1963 when he was appointed director and chaplain of the Regis Retirement Residence in Waco.
He was involved extensively in the development of Reicher Catholic High School, which opened the next year, supervised the construction of St. Louis Catholic Elementary School, which was completed in 1963, and then on Sept. 1, 1964, was named the first pastor of the new St. Louis Parish, which held masses in the school’s cafetorium while the church was built.St. Louis Catholic Church opened with its first Sunday mass on June 9, 1968.
Deering was awarded the title of monsignor on Dec. 28, 1976, and after 47 years as the church’s pastor, retired in October 2000.
In 2003, to mark the 50th anniversary of his priesthood, many area residents traveled to Kilkenny, Ireland to celebrate mass with Deering and his Irish family.
Service: Tuesday, June 7th, 2016
Location St. Louis Catholic Church
Address 2001 N. 25th St Waco, Texas
Bishop Joe S. Vasquez Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Garcia Bishop Emeritus John McCarthy will deliver the homily
Holy Cross Cemetery Waco, TX
WACO, Texas (KWTX)
Deering’s first and only assignment as a newly ordained priest was Waco.He arrived two months after the devastating Waco tornado on May 11, 1953.Deering was born on Nov. 6, 1921 in Ballybit, Rathvilly, County Carlow Ireland, the eighth of 10 children.
He was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1953, at Kieran’s College in Kilkenny, Ireland.He was appointed to the Diocese of Austin and arrived in Central Texas on July 22, 1953.
He served as pastor of St. Mary’s of the Assumption Catholic Church from 1953 until Sept. 1, 1963 when he was appointed director and chaplain of the Regis Retirement Residence in Waco.
He was involved extensively in the development of Reicher Catholic High School, which opened the next year, supervised the construction of St. Louis Catholic Elementary School, which was completed in 1963, and then on Sept. 1, 1964, was named the first pastor of the new St. Louis Parish, which held masses in the school’s cafetorium while the church was built.St. Louis Catholic Church opened with its first Sunday mass on June 9, 1968.
Deering was awarded the title of monsignor on Dec. 28, 1976, and after 47 years as the church’s pastor, retired in October 2000.
In 2003, to mark the 50th anniversary of his priesthood, many area residents traveled to Kilkenny, Ireland to celebrate mass with Deering and his Irish family.
Service: Tuesday, June 7th, 2016
Location St. Louis Catholic Church
Address 2001 N. 25th St Waco, Texas
Bishop Joe S. Vasquez Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Garcia Bishop Emeritus John McCarthy will deliver the homily
Holy Cross Cemetery Waco, TX
WACO, Texas (KWTX)
Bio by: Carol Hoch
