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Partly Cloudy Bishop McHugh goes home to God
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While it was widely known that the Bishop was fighting liver and gall-bladder cancer, news of his death came as a surprise to many parishioners, according to diocese spokesperson Joanne Navarro.
Bishop McHugh had undergone surgery related to his condition several weeks ago and was said to be in good spirits during his recovery.
Parishioners leaving Mass on Monday morning expressed sorrow at the Bishop's passing. "We felt he was doing a great job," said Patricia Nolan.
Others chose to focus on the positive. Their shepherd has gone home. "This is what he's been looking forward to all his life," said John Celmer.
Bishop McHugh came to Rockville Centre in February 1999 as a coadjutor bishop, with the understanding that he would succeed Bishop John R. McGann upon the latter's retirement. The torch was passed on Jan. 4, 2000. Bishop McHugh was the third bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which serves 1.4 million Catholics.
Bishop McGann sat beside his successor in his final hours, according to Ms. Navarro, but could not be reached for comment.
Before coming to Long Island, Bishop McHugh developed a reputation for his strong anti-abortion stance and desire to curb the growing secular and materialistic movements in the United States.
The majority of his career was spent in his home state of New Jersey. Bishop McHugh served as the leader of the Diocese of Camden for 10 years and is deeply missed by his colleagues.
"I and the people of the Diocese of Camden grieve at this time of loss," said Camden Bishop Nicholas Di Marzio, "but also remember with appreciation ... his valiant, unwavering voice for the pro-life movement in the United States."
In one of his first press conferences in New York, Bishop McHugh said that abortion, euthanasia and wars are an "affront to the sanctity and value of human life." Throughout his career, he used many platforms to express his beliefs, including serving as the director of the Family Life Bureau from 1965-75 and in the Office of Pro-life Activities from 1972-78.
"I have never known a braver, more dedicated man of God," said Theodore E. McCarrick, Archbishop of Newark, who performed Bishop McHugh's ordination. "We will all miss his clear and constant voice."
Fr. Gregory Cappuccino, pastor of Valley Stream's Blessed Sacrament Church, was just one of many who praised Bishop McHugh for the way he continued his work despite his pain.
"The hardest and saddest part of our loss now is that he has been so seriously ill for almost the entire time he has been with us," Fr. Cappuccino said. "This man of extremely strong principle was so very dedicated to the church, and he gave himself totally to the people of Long Island. Unfortunately, the severity of his pain limited what he could do. He was always in such excruciating pain, but I know his faith and dedication were evident in spite of the awful pain."
Fr. Cappuccino said that he counsels parishioners on the Bishop's passing with a lesson he himself was taught by an old friend. "My good friend of 30 years, the late Sister Christine Mulreidy, told me something I will never forget. When once I said that she was dying of cancer, she corrected me, saying, 'I am not dying of cancer, I am living with cancer.' That is perhaps a lesson we can learn now from the days Bishop McHugh spent with us." We must think of the Bishop as having served God and people of this diocese while living with his pain, the Valley Stream pastor said.
The Reverend Msgr. Charles R. Fink, spiritual leader of St. Joseph's R.C. Church in Hewlett, said: "He was here a very short time and his tenure was overshadowed by his illness. I'm afraid the things he will be remembered for are the shortness of his tenure and his illness. It's sad for the Diocese of Rockville Centre and sad for our people."
Leaders of the Jewish faith were also moved by news of the Bishops passing. "I had the pleasure of meeting Bishop McHugh through my affliction with Mercy Medical Center, and everyone was looking forward to his inspirational leadership," said Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz of Temple B'nai Sholom. Rabbi Schwartz serves on the Board of Governors of Mercy Medical Center.
Bishop McHugh's body was to be brought to St. Agnes Cathedral on Wednesday, Dec. 13, where it was scheduled to lie in state through 8 P.M. Thursday. A funeral Mass was scheduled for Friday, Dec. 15 at the cathedral. Edward M. Egan, the Archbishop of New York, will celebrate the Mass, and Cardinal Bernard Law, the Archbishop of Boston, will perform the homily. Archbishop Law was one of three speakers at Cardinal John O'Connor's funeral in May.
Burial in the crypt at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, 440 West Neck Rd., Huntington. Bishop McHugh will be the first bishop buried there since 1950, Ms. Navarro said.
Keeping the diocese running
As the senior auxiliary bishop, Emil Wcela became the acting leader of the Diocese of Rockville Centre at the time of Bishop McHugh's death. Under canon law, an apostolic administrator must be appointed within eight days.
The administrator will oversee the day-to-day operations of the diocese until a new bishop is appointed by the Pope.
Bishop McHugh had undergone surgery related to his condition several weeks ago and was said to be in good spirits during his recovery.
Parishioners leaving Mass on Monday morning expressed sorrow at the Bishop's passing. "We felt he was doing a great job," said Patricia Nolan.
Others chose to focus on the positive. Their shepherd has gone home. "This is what he's been looking forward to all his life," said John Celmer.
Bishop McHugh came to Rockville Centre in February 1999 as a coadjutor bishop, with the understanding that he would succeed Bishop John R. McGann upon the latter's retirement. The torch was passed on Jan. 4, 2000. Bishop McHugh was the third bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which serves 1.4 million Catholics.
Bishop McGann sat beside his successor in his final hours, according to Ms. Navarro, but could not be reached for comment.
Before coming to Long Island, Bishop McHugh developed a reputation for his strong anti-abortion stance and desire to curb the growing secular and materialistic movements in the United States.
The majority of his career was spent in his home state of New Jersey. Bishop McHugh served as the leader of the Diocese of Camden for 10 years and is deeply missed by his colleagues.
"I and the people of the Diocese of Camden grieve at this time of loss," said Camden Bishop Nicholas Di Marzio, "but also remember with appreciation ... his valiant, unwavering voice for the pro-life movement in the United States."
In one of his first press conferences in New York, Bishop McHugh said that abortion, euthanasia and wars are an "affront to the sanctity and value of human life." Throughout his career, he used many platforms to express his beliefs, including serving as the director of the Family Life Bureau from 1965-75 and in the Office of Pro-life Activities from 1972-78.
"I have never known a braver, more dedicated man of God," said Theodore E. McCarrick, Archbishop of Newark, who performed Bishop McHugh's ordination. "We will all miss his clear and constant voice."
Fr. Gregory Cappuccino, pastor of Valley Stream's Blessed Sacrament Church, was just one of many who praised Bishop McHugh for the way he continued his work despite his pain.
"The hardest and saddest part of our loss now is that he has been so seriously ill for almost the entire time he has been with us," Fr. Cappuccino said. "This man of extremely strong principle was so very dedicated to the church, and he gave himself totally to the people of Long Island. Unfortunately, the severity of his pain limited what he could do. He was always in such excruciating pain, but I know his faith and dedication were evident in spite of the awful pain."
Fr. Cappuccino said that he counsels parishioners on the Bishop's passing with a lesson he himself was taught by an old friend. "My good friend of 30 years, the late Sister Christine Mulreidy, told me something I will never forget. When once I said that she was dying of cancer, she corrected me, saying, 'I am not dying of cancer, I am living with cancer.' That is perhaps a lesson we can learn now from the days Bishop McHugh spent with us." We must think of the Bishop as having served God and people of this diocese while living with his pain, the Valley Stream pastor said.
The Reverend Msgr. Charles R. Fink, spiritual leader of St. Joseph's R.C. Church in Hewlett, said: "He was here a very short time and his tenure was overshadowed by his illness. I'm afraid the things he will be remembered for are the shortness of his tenure and his illness. It's sad for the Diocese of Rockville Centre and sad for our people."
Leaders of the Jewish faith were also moved by news of the Bishops passing. "I had the pleasure of meeting Bishop McHugh through my affliction with Mercy Medical Center, and everyone was looking forward to his inspirational leadership," said Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz of Temple B'nai Sholom. Rabbi Schwartz serves on the Board of Governors of Mercy Medical Center.
Bishop McHugh's body was to be brought to St. Agnes Cathedral on Wednesday, Dec. 13, where it was scheduled to lie in state through 8 P.M. Thursday. A funeral Mass was scheduled for Friday, Dec. 15 at the cathedral. Edward M. Egan, the Archbishop of New York, will celebrate the Mass, and Cardinal Bernard Law, the Archbishop of Boston, will perform the homily. Archbishop Law was one of three speakers at Cardinal John O'Connor's funeral in May.
Burial in the crypt at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, 440 West Neck Rd., Huntington. Bishop McHugh will be the first bishop buried there since 1950, Ms. Navarro said.
Keeping the diocese running
As the senior auxiliary bishop, Emil Wcela became the acting leader of the Diocese of Rockville Centre at the time of Bishop McHugh's death. Under canon law, an apostolic administrator must be appointed within eight days.
The administrator will oversee the day-to-day operations of the diocese until a new bishop is appointed by the Pope.
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