Jerome McHugh, O.F.M. Cap [Front kneeling] Amanda, Adam, Eric and Kayla; Kyle, John P. McHugh, Martha McHugh-Hubbard, Jerome McHugh and Haley; Keith, Donna, Brian Hubbard, David Duncan, Michelle Duncan, Johnny Hubbard, Kim Justice, Timm Justice, Steven Hubbard, baby Kai, Luli Hubbard.
Jerome McHugh, O.F.M. Cap. Fifty Years of Priestly Ministry
Frs. Jerome McHugh, John McHugh, and Mrs. Martha McHugh-Hubbard-26 June 2010
Martha McHugh, Mrs. Dorothy Kunsemuller-McHugh, Fr. Jerome McHugh, Mr. Patrick H. McHugh and John P. McHugh-26 June 1960
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Jerome McHugh, O.F.M. Cap. Fifty Years of Priestly Ministry
[Left] Denise Perrigino, Frances DiLeo, Willa Miller, Soloists; Sasha Brätt, Lector; [Below] Deacon Cecil Kenefick, Fr. Jerome McHugh, and Fr. John McHugh
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Jerome McHugh, O.F.M. Cap. Fifty Years of Priestly Ministry
[Top] Msgr. James Vaughey, Pastor; Mary Weidenhamer, Event Organizer; Fr. L. Praxid DeSilva, parochial vicar; [above] Charles Sammons, Liturgical Master of Ceremonies; Sasha Brätt, Gary Brätt, Organist; Robert Conway, Reception Master of Ceremonies; [right] Knights of Columbus; [Below] Bob and Eric Peterson, Photographic environment; Judy Jeselson, Rectory staff
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Our brother Patrick H. McHugh, the first child of Patrick H. and Dorothy C. Kunsemuller-McHugh, was born on 10 December 1934 in Yonkers, New York. At the time of his birth his father, Patrick H. McHugh, Sr. was principal of Saunders Trades School and his mother Dorothy, a housewife and a substitute teacher in Sacred Heart Grade School, both in Yonkers, New York.
That same year, young Patrick was baptized at St. John the Baptist Church in Yonkers on 23 December 1934. He attended Kindergarten at Public School #4 in Yonkers from 1939-1940. His sister Martha was born in 1940, the year Pat enrolled at Sacred Heart Grade School, where he graduated in June, 1948. His younger brother John Paul was born in 1943. The McHugh family where active and dedicated parishioners of Sacred Heart parish in Yonkers, NY.
After his graduation from Sacred Heart, Patrick attended Glenclyffe High School in Garrison, New York from 1948-1952. During his senior year at Glenclyffe, the new Province of Saint Mary was established. In the Broadcaster, a publication of Saint Mary’s Seminary-June 1952, William Drohan of the Class of 1953 wrote of Patrick McHugh:
“One and all agree that Pat’s claim to fame, aside from the fact that he is the latest in a long line of graduates which Sacred Heart parish, Yonkers, has sent our way, his outstanding in scholastic achievement coupled with a fine initiative and sense of responsibility that get things done well.
“The four years he has headed his class, and more often than not the entire school, is proof of the point. For further proof one need but recall this year’s excellent “Broadcaster”, which Pat served as editor.
“Among several hobbies, Pat’s favorite is photography, a field in which he so excels that he is one of the few to have attained full membership privileges in the Camera Club. Willingly and often he has likewise donated time and talent to help less gifted fellow students.
“Glenclyffe’s loss, however, will be Glenclyffe’s gain for the priesthood and the Capuchin Order. Continue on and upward, Pat, in that same fruitful direction.
Patrick, a member of the first class of novices in the newly-established province, was invested at the novitiate of St. Lawrence Friary, Milton, MA on 31 August 1952, receiving the religious name “Jerome”. His classmates included future friars: Richard Donaldson, Joseph Testagrossa, Daniel Cristobal, Patrick Glavin, Joseph McCarthy and Martin de Porres Schmitt. One year later frater Jerome pronounced his first vows in Milton on 01 September 1953.
Joyfully Celebrating Five Decades of Ministry
[Top-left] Pat celebrating his 5th Birthday-10 December 1939; [Above] Senior portrait-1952; Mark Frazier, Jerome McHugh, Salvatore Patricola, Joseph McCarthy and Anthony Harris [CA]at Mary Immaculate Friary circa 1954; [below] Venard Kelly, Boniface Goldhausen, and Edward McBride; Kenneth Mannell, Patrick McHugh, James Shooter, Patrick Egan; Valentine Cichon, Hugh Goley, Joseph McCarthy and Salvatore Patricola-June 1952
[Below] Visiting the Novitiate- Martha McHugh, John H. McHugh, Sr, Dorothy McHugh and John McHugh
Jerome McHugh, O.F.M. Cap. Fifty Years of Priestly Ministry
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In September, 1953, Jerome began his undergraduate studies at Mary Immaculate Friary, Garrison, New York. After completing his junior year, he and his classmates were transferred to the newly-built Saint Anthony Friary in Hudson, New Hampshire where he completed his senior year. On 01 September 1956 Jerome pronounced perpetual vows at St. Anthony Friary into the hands of Capuchin Fr. Donatus Goetz and witnessed by Frs. Bertrand Scully, first definitor and Terrence O’Toole.
Jerome celebrated his priesthood ordination at his home parish of Sacred Heart in Yonkers on 25 June 1960. He and his classmates Francis [Joseph] McCarthy, Dominic Silvestro, Mark Frazier, and Barry McMahon were ordained by Bishop James H. Griffiths.
The following day, Sunday, 26 June 1960, Fr. Jerome celebrated his First Mass at 11:00 a.m. also at Sacred Heart. Assisting at the first Mass was Fr. Armand Dasseville, pastor of Sacred Heart who served as archpriest; Fr. Donatus Goetz, master of novices at St. Lawrence in Milton, MA who served as deacon; and Fr. Richard Donaldson, assistant at St. Francis Chapel in Springfield, as subdeacon. Minor ministers included fraters Aloysius [Peter] McCall, Raymond Hand, Kieran Ahearn and Ward Fay, all of Mary Immaculate Friary, Garrison, NY and John Robertson, a cousin of Jerome. After the liturgy a reception was held in the Church hall from 2:00-4:00 p.m. following by the celebration of Benediction.
At the time of Jerome’s ordination, his sister Martha completed her second year at the College of Mt. St. Vincent in Riverdale and his brother John would anticipate beginning his senior year at St. Mary’s High School in Garrison, NY. He would enter our Capuchin community the following year on 31 August 1961.
Jerome returned to Mary Immaculate Friary to complete his theological studies until June, 1961. He then served as a parish assistant at Sacred Heart Parish during his Pastoral Year [August, 1961-June, 1962]. In addition to his parochial duties, Jerome attended Fordham University to prepare himself for what would become his life-long ministry in service to the province.
In June, 1962 Jerome was assigned to the provincialate community of St. Francis in Providence, Rhode Island where, under the director of his mentor, provincial minister Fr. Adrian Holzmeister, served as the assistant procurator. In 1964, he was named the provincial secretary and procurator of the province.
During his years in Providence Jerome continued his priestly ministry offering his services in local help-outs; spiritual assistant to two Third Order fraternities; and extraordinary confessor of the novitiate community in Milton, MA.
Following the Provincial Chapter of 1970, the provincial minister Fr. Dacian Dee negotiated the purchase of our present White Plains property with the Archdiocese of New York. In December of that same year, with the arrival of the first friar, newly-elected definitor Fr. Jordan Sullivan, the friar community of St. Conrad and the new location of our provincialate offices were established.
Jerome arrived at St. Conrad Friary in January, 1971 continuing his ministry of provincial secretary. Members of the new community would also include: Dacian Dee, provincial minister and the (in) famous Alfie; Paul Steffan, vicar provincial minister; Peter Kaseta, director of personnel, and Randy Grant who offered community service.
Jerome McHugh, O.F.M. Cap. Fifty Years of Priestly Ministry
Ordination-Saturday, 25 June 1960-Sacred Heart, Yonkers; Ordinandi- Frs. Jerome McHugh, Joseph McCarthy, Dominic Silvestro, Barry McMahon and Mark Frazier
First Mass-Sunday, 26 June 1960-Sacred Heart, Yonkers: Outside Sacred Heart Friary: front row-Mr. Patrick H. McHugh, Jerome, Mrs. Dorothy McHugh, Martha McHugh, John P. McHugh; back row-Donatus Goetz, Armand Dasseville and Richard Donaldson
Venard Kelly and Randolph Nowak were in residence and ministered at the Grasslands Complex, which would later be known as Westchester Medical Center and Westchester County Corrections Facility.
When the corporation of the “The Province of St. Mary of the Capuchin Order” was established Jerome was appointed secretary-treasurer by the board of directors and has held that position until this present day.
Shortly after his arrival in White Plains, Jerome offered his services on Sundays to the Parish Community of Saint Anthony in West Harrison, NY where he ministered for over 22 years. Since 1993, he has been a Sunday assistant, ministering to the parochial community of St. Theresa [Briarcliff Manor, NY] and Our Lady of the Wayside [Millwood, NY] who graciously hosted his 50th Priesthood Jubilee celebration on 26 June 2010.
Jerome’s dedication to the Capuchin Order has reached far beyond the four walls of his secretarial-financial offices of nearly 40 years. For the last twenty-eight years [and counting] he has generously offered his services to the North American (and Pacific) Capuchin Conference and the Financial Offices of our Generalate in Rome.
In 2008, our Capuchin brothers of the NAPCC offered their tribute and fraternal appreciation for Jerome’s twenty-five years [1983-2008] of devoted services as the conference’s recording secretary and treasurer.
During the Provincial Chapter of 2008, the out-going provincial minister, Michael Banks, in the presence of all the brothers, offered a lengthy tribute in gratitude not only for Jerome’s presence, giftedness and financial counsel to sixteen provincial administrations but his graciousness which continues to impact each of the brothers. The latter was articulated in a presentation written by an anonymous author honoring our “Unsung Hero” [See page 9].
Our brother Jerome has offered his financial expertise in the service of our Capuchin International communities. In 1983 he was appointed secretary-treasurer by the general minister, John Corriveau, serving as representative in maintaining the assets of the New York-based Corporation “Capuchin Friars International, Inc.” Later, he would be asked to assist in an additional corporate foundation “St. Francis of Assisi, Inc.” established to support the poorest Capuchin provinces in the world. Jerome has also rendered similar assistance to at least eight other international Capuchin foundations.
In a letter dated 04 June 2010 from the present general minister, Mauro Jöhri he, “offered a personal word to the many expressions of thanksgiving to God and appreciation for all the various ways in which he has served the Order with such outstanding and painstaking competence.” Mauro writes: “As you thank God for fifty years of priestly ministry, I am sure it must be especially satisfying to you to see how the principles you have always applied—not least in your long service to the Order in its economic and financial affairs—have been officially promoted in the Order’s most recent Plenary Councils…”
“In the name of the whole Order I thank you for embodying this spirit so faithfully, and I am certain that your gifts and qualities and long experience will continue to enrich your Province in many ways.”
On Saturday, 26 June 2010 family, friars, parishioners, affiliates and friends gathered to mark this golden moment. The event began with a Eucharist celebration at 11:00 a.m. at St. Theresa’s in Briarcliff Manor, NY followed by a welcoming reception in St. Theresa School.
Jerome McHugh, O.F.M. Cap. Fifty Years of Priestly Ministry
Jerome at Saint Conrad Friary with Fred-1971 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration-1983
Leader of the Pack-Milwaukee Airport-2001 Bon Voyage-The Alaskan Adventure-2008
[Above] Joseph Flynn and Richard Therrien; Kristine Tozzi and Michael Connolly; the Reception Hall; [below] Gathering of the Clan
Jerome McHugh, O.F.M. Cap. Fifty Years of Priestly Ministry
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Unsung Heroes
“We speak of unsung heroes whose deeds deserve praise but who receive little or no recognition. No doubt many friars in the Province fit this profile and in fact, prefer it. “One unsung hero in our province is Jerome McHugh. No matter the politics or dynamics of provincial administration that come and go, no matter the triumphs or travails of Wall Street, Jerome has for more than forty years been a capable, steady and reliable presence for the friars. “Jerome has been relied upon by both the province and the Order as a whole. What makes him an unsung hero is his unfailing fraternally kind concern for the friars who are living at a distance from the province, be it geographical or emotional. “Friars in the missions remark on how the thoughtful note accompanying a check bridges the distance from home and relieves the loneliness. “Friars in times of anxiety, illness or grief are greatly relieved by their difficult problems being competently and promptly solved with individual attention and above all, compassion. “Every phone call is received calmly and without judgment, no matter what the mess or confusion might be, no matter how hectic the business of the treasurer’s office might be at the time. “Few have been so fraternal for so long to so many so well as Jerome has been to us. “Considering who we are, that has to be heroic!”
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