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FATHER JOHN J. McCABE, M.M.
1916 - 2003
 

Father John McCabe died of respiratory failure due to pulmonary disease
at St. Teresa's Residence in the afternoon of September 8, 2003.  He was
87 years old and a Maryknoll priest for 61 years.

John Joseph McCabe was born on January 1, 1916, in Boston,
Massachusetts, son of Louis and Catherine Quigley McCabe.  He had three
brothers and one sister.  He attended Immaculate Conception Parochial
School in Everett, Massachusetts, for eight years; Boston College High
School for four years; and Boston College for one year.  He entered
Maryknoll Apostolic College (Venard), Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, on
September 9, 1934 and was ordained a priest at Maryknoll Seminary, New
York, on June 21, 1942.

 On September 8, 1942, Father McCabe departed for the new Maryknoll
Mission in Cochabamba, Bolivia.  In Santa Ana Parish in Calacala, he
began his career as a missioner in paro-chial adminis-tration, music,
liturgy, catechetics, sports, and youth work.  Two years later, in
October 1944, he was transferred to the Pando Vicariate. In 1946, he was
moved to Cobija, the capitol of the Pando District, and served as pastor
and the Bishop's representative.  The parochial school had just opened
and Father McCabe became active in civic affairs, local sports programs,
religion classes in the urban and rural schools and youth activities.
While on home furlough in 1948, he did pastoral work in Concord, New
Hampshire, and served as the Director of the Maryknoll Brothers at
Bedford, Massachusetts.

 After home furlough in 1949 he returned to Bolivia and was appointed
first as assistant pastor and then as pastor of the large Santa Ana
Parish in the Calacala district of Cochabamba. For six years he preached
many parish missions in the Santa Cruz area and proved to be a good
administrator and organizer, especial-ly in developing the parish school
and convent for the parish. He secured land in Condebamba, Villa Galindo
and Calacala for future churches and parishes.  During home furlough in
1956, Father McCabe did Promotion work in Los Angeles.  On his return to
Bolivia in January 1958, he was appointed pastor of San Pedro Parish in
La Paz and appointed second Consultor to the Bolivia Regional Superior.
Among his many activities, he made improvements in the church, expanded
the catechetics program, developed the Christian Family Movement and
with a national raffle secured funds for a Youth and Catechetical
Center.  As director of the Diocesan Mission Band in September 1960 he
went to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a month, conducting parish
missions.  On his return, he was appointed Director of the Maryknoll
Language School in Cochabamba.  In 1962, he was appointed pastor of the
parish in Montero with the added duties of Director of the regional high
school.  After home leave and Promotion work in Los Angeles, Father
McCabe returned to Bolivia and became pastor of Christ the King Parish
in Cochabamba. While there, he served as President of the Mother Seton
Hospital Board, a teacher at the School of Nursing, and further
developed the Legion of Mary, the catechetical staff, the Credit Union
and a housing cooperative. His 28 years of missionary ministry in
Bolivia ended in 1970 when he returned to the United States.

 While on home furlough in 1970, Father McCabe was assigned to the
Maryknoll Development House in Los Angeles.  In 1974 he was loaned to
the Fresno Diocese for the Hispanic Apostolate, with residence at St.
Anthony's Parish, Fresno.  In 1977, he returned to Los Angeles.  In
January 1981, after a few months on the Cleveland Promotion staff,
Father McCabe was assigned to the Archives at Maryknoll, New York to
engage in research and writing the history of Maryknoll in Bolivia.  He
wrote up the initial composition of the Maryknoll history of the Bolivia
Region.  In July 1982, Father McCabe left on a sabbatical to Los Altos
to recuperate from a heart attack.

 On April 14, 1983, Father McCabe requested retirement with residence at
a Riverdale, California Parish where he became the Director of Religious
Education.  He was also involved in the Hispanic ministry in Riverdale
and Lemoore, California. In September 1988, a lung infection forced him
to leave and take up permanent residence at Maryknoll Residence, Los
Altos, California.  He continued to be active with Parish help-outs in
the dioceses of San Jose, Fresno and Santa Rosa.  When needed, he
covered Maryknoll Promotion appeals and with the help of pastors in the
area, raised money for the Maryknoll Los Altos residence, which was
badly damaged in the earthquake of October 1989.

 In 1990, Father McCabe, with local Bolivians, set up a non-profit group
"Friends of Bolivia" which raises money for Bolivia.  It is still
active. That same year, he joined a local San Jose Lions Club, and was
on the Board of Directors at the Lions Blind Center in San Jose,
California.  In 1992 he was invited to attend the dedication of the new
church in Calacala, Cochabamba.  From 1995 to 1997, Father McCabe was
chaplain for the Daughters of Charity.  After further heart problems, in
October 1997, Father McCabe moved to St. Teresa's where he resided until
his death.

 Father McCabe is survived by his brothers, Vincent McCabe, 15 Mifflin
Drive, N. Andover,  MA 01845 and Francis McCabe, 38 Cedar Street,
Everett, MA  02149.

 Wake services were held at 4:30 p.m. on September 11, 2003 at St.
Teresa's and at 7:30 p.m. in Queen of Apostles Chapel at Maryknoll
Center where Father Joseph McGahren officiated and Father Kenneth Moody
read the biography.  Mass of Christian Burial was concelebrated in Queen
of Apostles Chapel on September 12, 2003 at 11:00 a.m.  Father John
Northrop was Principal Celebrant and homilist.  Burial followed in
Maryknoll Society Cemetery.

 Each Maryknoll priest is requested to offer Mass for the repose of the
soul of Father McCabe; all Maryknollers are requested to remember him in
their private and public prayers.

 Rev. John C. Sivalon, MM
 Superior General



Rev. John J. McAuley, MM
 Secretary General