It is with great sadness we share the news of the death of Fr. Gerry who was born in his beloved Knockaderry, County Limerick, Ireland.

After Secondary school, Fr Gerry entered the Pallottine Seminary in Thurles, County Tipperary. Fr Gerry made his First Consecration on September 12, 1963, and was ordained a priest on June 8, 1968, in the Cathedral in Thurles. His first assignment after ordination was to Makiungu Parish in Tanzania, East Africa. While there he also served in Singida Parish and Kirondotal & Kiomboi. He did an enormous amount of work during his time on the missions. Fr. Gerry put new seats in the old church, but now there is a beautiful cathedral in Singida. Fr Gerry was very kind and outgoing in nature. He was a favorite with young and old alike. He could spend hours getting stories out of the old men and women. While Fr Gerry was in Makiungu he endeared himself to all. He was completely selfless and always ready to help.

In 1972, he was reassigned to London, England as associate pastor in the Pallottine Parishes of Barking & Greenford prior to being transferred to The United States in 1976, where he brought the same selfless qualities. His first appointment in the United States was to Ely, Nevada. In 1979 he was moved to Idalou/Lorenzo, Texas; in 1985 to Stephenville, Texas and in 1990 Fr. Gerry was appointed to St. Joseph Parish in Wyandotte, Michigan where he served for 10 years.

During that time Fr Gerry made many lifelong friends. While ministering in St. Joseph Parish Fr. Gerry undertook the task of building the parish hall and made it his goal to visit every family in the parish. With his great encouragement and kind words Fr. Gerry served everyone. He was kind and caring to all, never having a cross word to say. In the year 2000 Fr. Gerry left St. Joseph Parish to continue his ministry at St. Nicholas, Capac & St. John the Evangelist, Allenton, Michigan; Saint Aloysius Gonzaga in Romulus; Saint Christopher, Detroit, Michigan, and in 2009 Fr. Gerry was blessed to join St. Anne Church, Ortonville, Michigan. After 53 years of active ministry, Fr Gerry concluded his active ministry in September 2021.

Throughout his years in ministry, Fr Gerry generously promoted and supported the Pallottine Foreign Missions. Fr Gerry will be deeply missed by his loving sisters Mary and Rena, his nieces and nephews as well as his Pallottine Community. Fr. Gerry was predeceased by his loving parents, Thomas and Kathleen and his brother Tom. Fr. Gerry will be deeply missed by his many friends and the parishioners he served in Wyandotte and throughout the world. He will be fondly remembered as a wonderful man and a dedicated priest. Fr Gerry recently said “The priesthood gave me inner peace. Becoming a priest has brought me a peace of mind that I cannot put into words. You can’t have inner peace all the time, rather there are situations in life that can disturb you—so I ask God every day for the gift of peace. There have been times I’ve struggled in life and times I’ve experienced some crosses too —but I never had any regrets about my calling”.

Eternal Rest Grant unto him O Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

Well done good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Master. {Matthew 25:22-23}

You are welcome here at St. Anne's. Whether you are new to the Ortonville area or have lived here for as long as you can remember, we want to let you know that we would love for you to become part of our community. Above all, we hope that you will visit us, join in our worship of God, and walk with us as we strive to grow in the likeness of the Risen Christ.

Our Mission
"We, the people of St. Anne, are a growing Catholic Community with various gifts and talents, and we are open to the Spirit among us. Rooting ourselves in The Word of God, we reach out to all in loving service, witnessing, and celebrating the life of Jesus Christ in our midst."

If you would like to add a family member or friend to our prayer list, please call our parish secretary
Anne Schulz at (248) 627-3965, ext. 100. In order to have a person's name published in the bulletin, we must have that individual's permission. Thank you for your cooperation.