'My Life Belongs Not to Myself But to Jesus'

Glenmary Father John Garvey Dead at 74

CINCINNATI—Glenmary Father John Garvey, a member of the Cincinnati-based Glenmary Home Missioners for 49 years, died Feb. 12, 2002, in Gate City, Va. Born October 10, 1927, in Woburn, Mass., Father Garvey died of a heart attack.

An avid outdoorsman, Father John frequently packed up his tent and headed west to camp in the beauty of nature. In the outdoors, he said, he found the wonder of God’s creation. Within that creation, he also was reminded that “My life belongs not to myself but to Jesus. I need only to live pulsating with the life and breath of all God’s creatures…In life and death, all will be well.”
Father Jerry Dorn, president of Glenmary Home Missioners, also recognized that aspect of Father John’s spirituality. “When I reflect on John’s life as a man and missioner, I immediately think of the word ‘wonder,’” Father Jerry said. “Jesus, people and God’s beautiful creation all brought a sense of wonder to this great missioner.”

Father John has lived in the Glenmary mission in Gate City since 1988, serving as director of Appalachian Services, a post he retained after receiving senior member status in 1992. His years of rural ministry began in Oklahoma soon after his ordination in 1957 and led him to Georgia. There he spent 12 years as associate pastor and then pastor in three different missions: Statesboro (1959-1962); Sylvania (1962-1967); and Waynesboro (1967-1971).

He pastored the Morehead, Ky., Glenmary mission from 1971-77 before moving on to Gate City, where he was pastor from 1977-1980. He then spent time as director of vocations and pastor of the Winfield, Ala., mission in the early 1980s before moving on to Hazlehurst, Ga., in 1985, where he stayed until moving to Gate City in 1988.

He is survived by his fellow Glenmarians as well as many close friends.

Visitation and a prayer service were held at St. Bernard Church in Gate City on Feb. 14. A memorial Mass was celebrated at the Gate City mission on Feb. 15.

Visitation will also take place from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday evening, Feb. 19, in Our Lady of the Fields Chapel at the Glenmary Residence, 4119 Glenmary Trace, Fairfield, Ohio. A prayer service will be held at 7:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 10 a.m. at St. Gabriel Church in Glendale, Ohio. Burial will follow immediately at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

Father John requested that memorials be made to Glenmary Home Missioners, P.O. Box 465618, Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618.
Glenmary Home Missioners is a Catholic society of priests and brothers who, along with coworkers, staff 64 missions in 14 dioceses throughout Appalachia, the South and Southwest. Through service, Word and sacrament, Glenmarians strive to bring spiritual development and social justice to the neglected rural areas of the United States.

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