 Fr. Mark Douglas McPhee, O.P.
Mark died on July 7th, 1994, a few months before his 70th birthday. He carried many
crosses in this life, ranging from years of poor health to extreme emotional sensitivity.
Yet each one of these crosses seemed to draw him closer to God and the Blessed
Mother.
His first great trial came when he was a student brother and learned
that he might have leprosy. It was many weeks before he knew he didn't have that
dread disease, but during that terrifying time of waiting he reconciled himself to God's
will and began talking about a possible ministry as a Dominican in a leper colony.
In spite of his suffering, Mark was a man of joy and laughter
throughout his life. Few who met him were unaffected by the great joy and love that
seemed to flow from him. He easily infected people with laughter, and he had a great
sense of the incongruous. He never laughed at the expense of others, but only at
himself.
Many years ago he was diagnosed as having Multiple Sclerosis, a
terrible disease, which drew Mark closer to God and the people he served. He would
warn a congregation at Mass that, at any time, he might start crying or laughing. He
asked them to be patient, for the episode would pass and Mass would continue. As a result
of his honesty and vulnerability, there was an outpouring of love for and trust in this
prayerful priest. He didn't limit himself just to the Catholic community but was
interested in the entire community. He spontaneously reached out in friendship to
the local Protestant clergy, and they responded in kind.
With declining health, Mark became somewhat isolated in his beloved
Northwest and something of a stranger to many Dominicans, but he had many, many friends
who were very special in his life.
In recent years, his devotion to the Blessed Mother deepened even more.
He was very concerned about the Church, the priesthood, and the laity.
Praying for Mary's intercession, he worked harder for God's kingdom, yet often spoke of
how weary he was and how he longed to go home - to heaven. He believed that
Christian life is incomplete without death, and he longed to become the complete
Christian. God heard his prayer on July 7, 1994.
- Fr. John C. Flannery, O.P.
Date of Birth |
Date of Profession |
Date of Ordination |
Date of Death |
September 19, 1924 |
August 15, 1953 |
June 13, 1958 |
July 7, 1994 |
XII: 378 |
