www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Falling Asleep in the Lord of Archimandrite John Mowatt

Dear fellow Forum members,

On Friday, November 8th, the Rt. Rev. Archimandrite John Mowatt, died of an apparent heart attack at his family home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His funeral took place at Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral.

Archimandrite John was born on December 17, 1926 at Cambridge, Massachussetts. He studied at the Russicum in Rome and was ordained on March 25, 1957 by the Russian Byzantine Catholic Archbishop Alexander Evreinoff in Rome. He was the founding pastor Our Lady of Kazan Russian Catholic parish(now closed) in Boston.

Archimandrite John will be most remembered for his involvement with the Blue Army, especially for being rector of the beautiful Russian Byzantine Catholic chapel of the Dormition in Fatima for nine years. He was responsible for the interior furnishings of the chapel, including the magnificent iconostasis. You may view the iconostatsis at www.virtual-net.pt/DomusPacis/site/english/p3e.htm [virtual-net.pt] .
He also played a role in the acquiring of the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Kazan, and built a side chapel to house the icon within the Dormition chapel. Fr. John also founded the "Our Lady of Kazan Guild" and published a wonderful periodical titled, "Looking East". He worked for spreading awareness of the liturgical traditions of the East among Roman-rite Catholics, and for promoting unity between Catholics and Orthodox. He wrote several booklets spreading devotion to Our Lady of Fatima using the liturgical devotions of the Byzantine tradition. His work for the Blue Army is written about in the book, "Dear Bishop", written by the late John Haffert, co-founder of the Blue Army.

The Russian Byzantine Catholic community, the Blue Army, and the Byzantine Catholic Church in general have lost a wonderful priest.

May his memory be eternal!

God bless you,
griego catolico

Blessed Repose and Eternal Memory !

As a young seminarian (I was 21 and 1 year in vows), I went to and worked at Our Lady of Kazan in South Boston. Fr. John was very happy to have a Jesuit seminarian come to the parish and sing and be present for the people who came there. Although most, like himself, were non-ethnics, Father John was very happy to have us Greek and Russian (and Balkan) folks participate in the liturgical life of the parish.

Fr. John did everything according to the Typikon; nothing was left out. After the 6 hour Paschal marathon, Fr. came into the vestibule of the church to bless the foods and had a thermos of Manhattans to give to the choir (and others!), knowing full well that we were absolutely vocally dead -- but happy.

In terms of REAL liturgy, straight out of the typikon, as lived in a parish setting, I owe all that I know to Fr. John. He was a most wonderful liturgist and a most marvelous priest to any and all who came through the door. I know little about his Blue Army affiliation or his Fatima affiliation, but as a priest to God's Russian (and Byzantine) peoples, he was a true pastor, a shepherd of souls, and a wonderful and most loyal friend.

May his memory be eternal, and may the Lord grant him His most precious and bountiful graces.

Eternal Memory. Vichnaya Pamyat.

Blessings!

PS: Does anyone know where Fr. John was buried? I would appreciate finding out so that I can visit his earthly resting place to bring flowers.

Dr. John,

The obituary in the Pilot, the Boston Catholic Newspaper, says that he is buried in a cemetary in Cambridge, MA. No other information other thatn that.

Pace,

Peter

Dear DrJohn,

Obituary

Rt. Rev. John J. Mowatt

Of Cambridge, November 9, 2002. Beloved brother of Margaret Ouellet & Marilyn Mahoney both of Jonesboro, GA, and Donald Mowatt of Austin, TX. Son of the late Ann (Fitzgerald) & John B. Mowatt. Also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday from 2 to 7 PM at Our Lady of The Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral, 7 VFW Parkway, Roslindale. The Office of Priestly Parastas will be celebrated at 7 PM. The Devine Liturgy and Funeral Service will be held on Thursday morning at 11 AM, followed by burial in Cambridge Cemetery. Arrangements by the Keefe Funeral Home, 2175 Mass Ave., NORTH CAMBRIDGE. Keefe Funeral Homes Cambridge/Arlington 617-547-5544
Published in the Boston Globe from 11/12/2002 - 11/13/2002.

To locate the cemetery call the Funeral Home.

Eternal memory. Eternal memory. Grant, 0 Lord, to Your servant blessed repose and eternal memory.

I was visiting northern Massachusetts this weekend and went to Descent of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Church in South Deerfield, where I learned about Fr. Mowatt's passing. He was much beloved by the parishoners. Their cantor told me that when he and a some babas went to the funeral in Boston, they expected a Melkite liturgy. However, so many Ukrainians showed up that the Melkite congregation told them that the service should be a Ukrainian Liturgy! He will truly be missed.

Vichnaya Pamyat!

Father Mowatt was a great priest. He was the pastor at my grandmother's parish until a fire burned down the rectory and almost burned him aswell. He trained Father Robert Taft for deaconal ordination, and jokingly claimed that he taught him everything he knows. News of his death came as a surprise to me, but I guess he was older than he looked.

Vechnaya Pamyat!

Daniil