Monsignor Edward John MacMahon

Monsignor (Msgr.) Edward (Eamon) John MacMahon, Chaplain at Ave Maria Senior Living and former Pastor of Carmel Mission Basilica, passed away on October 15, the Feast Day commemorating the great Carmelite nun and mystic, St. Teresa of Avila. Msgr. MacMahon was 98. Msgr. MacMahon was born to Joseph and Elizabeth MacMahon on December 12, 1918 on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Ireland. His father was a prominent merchant and land owner in Cookstown. His mother's brother, Msgr. Harry Laverty, was a priest in the Archdiocese of Armagh. Both his father and mother were devoted Catholics and Msgr. said his father often recited the rosary with his children. Throughout life, Msgr. MacMahon continued to have a deep devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus and Mary was a continual presence in his life as a priest. At an early age, Msgr. MacMahon began considering a life in the priesthood to lead others to the teachings of Jesus Christ. In his early teenage years, he was educated at St. Patrick's Junior Seminary College in Armagh, Northern Ireland. Armagh traces its history back to St.Patrick and is often referred to as the "The Rome of Ireland". After leaving school in Armagh, Msgr. MacMahon attended St Patrick's Pontifical Seminary and University College at Maynooth, near the City of Dublin. He excelled at the pontifical seminary and developed a life-long love of learning, becoming an avid reader and scholar. He continued his education at Queen's University, Belfast and at St. Peter's College, Wexford, where he was ordained. In those days, bishops from America were looking for young priests to help build the Catholic Church in America. When asked why he chose to be ordained for a California diocese, Msgr. said that several of his classmates were being ordained for California and California had an adventurous ring about it. As a newly ordained priest, he set sail for America, landing first at Ellis Island in New York and then traveled overland by train across the country arriving in Fresno, California in the fall of 1947 to meet Bishop Willinger, his new bishop. The Diocese of Monterey/Fresno was a mere 26 years old when Msgr. MacMahon arrived, so there was lots of work ahead building churches and schools to serve the people in this relatively new diocese. Bishop Willinger assigned Msgr. MacMahon to St Mary's Parish in Visalia. Visalia is situated in the rich agricultural San Joaquin Valley. As the county seat of Tulare County, Visalia serves as the economic and governmental center to one of the most productive single agricultural counties in America. So, it was here that a young Father MacMahon began serving this agricultural community. He spent five years in Visalia serving the people of St Mary's Parish - saying daily Mass, marrying the young, baptizing infants, hearing confessions and burying those who died. In 1952, Msgr. returned to Ireland and served for two years in the Archdiocese of Armagh, where his friend and classmate, Tomas O'Fiaich who later became the Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, was also living at the time. In 1954, Msgr. returned to the Diocese of Monterey/Fresno and worked at St. John's Cathedral in Fresno near the Fresno Diocesan Seminary. During his service to the Diocese of Monterey/Fresno, Msgr. was chaplain to prisoners at Soledad Prison and later Pastor of St Michael's Church in Boulder Creek, bringing the teachings of Christ to both these communities. After the newly reconstituted Diocese of Monterey (originally constituted under the first bishop of Monterey, Bishop Joseph Alemany in 1850) was re-established in 1967, the new bishop, Bishop Harry A. Clinch named Msgr. MacMahon to serve as pastor of Carmel Mission Basilica and the 26 acre complex which contains the Junipero Serra Catholic School and the burial place of the founder of all the California Missions, St. Junipero Serra, O.F.M. During the years Msgr. MacMahon was pastor at Carmel Mission, Pope John Paul II (now St. John Paul II) made his historic visit to the Carmel Mission, praying at the tomb of St. Junipero Serra. The Mission has a beautiful painting of St. John Paul II enthusiastically greeting Msgr. MacMahon upon the pope's arrival at the Mission. While at Carmel Mission, Msgr. MacMahon acquired a magnificent Casavant Frères organ complete with horizontal trumpets and had it installed in the choir loft above the entrance to the Carmel Basilica. Its hand-painted casework is decorated with elaborate carvings and statuary, reflecting the Spanish decorative style seen on the main altar restored by Sir Harry Downie, the famous curator who spent his entire life restoring the Carmel Mission from rubble in 1931 to the magnificent Mission it is today. Msgr. MacMahon, Harry Downie and Harry's faithful dog, Gaspar could often be seen in the mission's courtyard discussing their next project. Msgr. officially retired in 1988, but continued to say Mass at the Carmel Mission for many years after retirement and served as chaplain at Ave Maria Senior Living in Monterey, saying daily Mass at nearly 100 yrs old. Msgr.'s sisters and brothers who preceded him in death include Una, Ita, Thomas, Patrick, and Harry, and five step-sisters: Mary Anne, Lily, Celia, Eleanor and Kitty. . Msgr. MacMahon is survived by many nieces, nephews and their children and grand-children in Ireland and elsewhere. He was blessed in life for bringing the blessings of Jesus Christ to others. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. May his gentle soul rest in peace. Services to celebrate Msgr MacMahon's life will be held at Carmel Mission Basilica on November 17 at 10am and a reception in Crespi Hall will follow. The burial will be at San Carlos Cemetery.