Fr Michael Walsh RIP

Fr Mike Walsh died this past week in Los Angeles California after a brief illness. His funeral will be held between February 16 and 17 in Los Angeles. A memorial Mass will be held in the historic church in downtown Bend at 12:15 PM on Tuesday February 16. Fr Mike served for several years in St Francis parish in Bend.

Fr. Mike Walsh was born in Los Angeles in 1932. After attending parochial school, he entered St. Francis High School and was in the school’s first graduating class in1950. At the school, Fr. Mike grew to admire the Capuchins and decided to join the order. Ordained in 1958, he attended Fordham University, NY and then came back to St. Francis as a teacher. Later, he worked in Capuchin formation as well as teaching in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1985 his life took a completely different turn as he became pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Watts, a ministry he loved. In 1991, after undergoing heart bypass surgery, his journey continued in Bend, Oregon at St. Francis Parish. He continued in parochial ministry, helping at St. Patrick’s, a predominately Hispanic parish in North Hollywood. He also worked with Marriage Encounter both in English and in Spanish.