In Loving Memory †friar Charles J. McCarthy
In Loving Memory +Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv. Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv., (73) was called home by Sister Death on November…
Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
A Jubilee Year “is a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin; it is a year of reconciliation between adversaries…
In Loving Memory †friar Charles J. McCarthy
In Loving Memory +Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv. Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv., (73) was called home by Sister Death on November 28, 2024, in Albuquerque, NM. Friar…
Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
A Jubilee Year “is a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin; it is a year of reconciliation between adversaries [and] of conversion. A Jubilee Year…
In Loving Memory †friar Charles J. McCarthy
In Loving Memory +Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv. Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv., (73) was called home by Sister Death on November 28, 2024, in Albuquerque, NM. Friar…
Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
A Jubilee Year “is a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin; it is a year of reconciliation between adversaries [and] of conversion. A Jubilee Year…
In Loving Memory †friar Charles J. McCarthy
In Loving Memory +Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv. Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv., (73) was called home by Sister Death on November 28, 2024, in Albuquerque, NM. Friar…
Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
A Jubilee Year “is a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin; it is a year of reconciliation between adversaries [and] of conversion. A Jubilee Year…
In Loving Memory †friar Charles J. McCarthy
In Loving Memory +Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv. Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv., (73) was called home by…
Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
A Jubilee Year “is a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin; it is a year…
The Road Less Traveled
In late 2019, I received an invitation from the former Zambian Minister of Health to come to Zambia and visit…
In Loving Memory †friar Charles J. McCarthy
In Loving Memory +Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv. Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv., (73) was called home by Sister Death on November 28, 2024, in Albuquerque, NM. Friar Charles was a priest-friar in the Conventual Franciscans of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation. He was preceded in…
Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
A Jubilee Year “is a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin; it is a year of reconciliation between adversaries [and] of conversion. A Jubilee Year is above all the year of Christ, who brings life and grace to humanity. “ -(From the website of the…
In Loving Memory †friar Charles J. McCarthy
In Loving Memory
Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv., (73) was called home by Sister Death on November 28, 2024, in Albuquerque, NM. Friar Charles was a priest-friar in the Conventual Franciscans of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Patrick McCarthy and Clare Celine Nothangel McCarthy, as well as his sister Marguerite Ann McCarthy, and two brothers, Dennis Michael Patrick McCarthy and Kevin William McCarthy . He is survived by his brother, Francis Paul McCarthy of Lockport, IL.
Friar Charles attended Mt. St. Francis Minor Seminary from 1965 to 1969. He did his postulancy at St. Bonaventure Friary, St. Louis, MO, from 1971-1974. He completed the Novitiate year and professed his first vows as a Conventual Franciscan in 1975. He professed solemn vows in 1978 at St. Anthony Novitiate in Auburn, IN. He completed his studies in preparation for the priesthood in 1979, when he was ordained to the transitional diaconate in St. Paul, MN. Ordination to the priesthood took place at St. Anthony Novitiate late in 1979.
Friar Charles served in various ministries within the Province of Our Lady of Consolation: Vocation Director, Initial Formation Director, Pastoral Associate, Pastor, and Director of Hispanic Ministry in DeKalb county Illinois in the Diocese of Rockford Illinois. From 1982 to 1993, he served in the province’s missions in Honduras.
In 1993, he and two other friars reestablished the Conventual Franciscan Order in Denmark. He served in Denmark from 1993 to 2001. While in Scandinavia, Friar Charles persuaded the bishops of Sweden to introduce the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), a significant accomplishment.
Friar Charles returned to the United States in 2001 and assisted in initial formation in San Antonio before ministering in El Paso, TX. In El Paso, he brought ACTS and Teen ACTS to El Paso, which has blossomed through the Diocese of El Paso and Las Cruces. He was the Guardian and pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Friary and Parish and ministered among the Tigua People of Ysleta del Sur. He served as pastor of Assumption Parish in Richfield, MN, from 2010-2014. From 2014 to 2018, he ministered to the Spanish-speaking community in Louisville, KY. In 2018, he returned to New Mexico and ministered to the Native American community in Albuquerque and, later, San Jose in Laguna, NM, until the time of his death.
Friar Charles served in varied and diverse places throughout the world, and these experiences gave him a global perspective on issues facing the Church and the U.S. An excellent listener with a good sense of humor, Friar Charles always added a unique and informed point of view to any conversation or discussion.
Memorial Gifts can be made on this page or mailed to the Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Office of Mission Advancement, 103 St. Francis Blvd., Mount Saint Francis, Indiana 47146.
FUNERAL/MEMORIAL MASS arrangements.
Memorial Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, El Paso, Texas
December 10, 2024, 7 p.m.
Rosary, 6 p.m.
Memorial Mass, 7 p.m.,
Celebrant: Bishop Anthony Celino of El Paso, Texas
Livestreamed:
facebook.com/@OLMCysletamission
Memorial Mass at San José Mission, Laguna, New Mexico
Saturday, December 14, 10 a.m.
Celebrant: Fr. Phil Ley, OFM Conv., Vicar Provincial, Province of Our Lady of Consolation
Mission San José de Laguna
1 Friar Rd
Laguna, NM 87026
Mass of Christian Burial at Mount Saint Francis Chapel, Mount Saint Francis, Indiana
January 14, 2025, 11 a.m.
Donate – In Memory
Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
A Jubilee Year “is a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin; it is a year of reconciliation between adversaries [and] of conversion. A Jubilee Year is above all the year of Christ, who brings life and grace to humanity. “
-(From the website of the Holy See.)
In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII instituted a Jubilee or Holy Year to mark the beginning of the 14th Century. (Interestingly, it was a Franciscan friar, Bl. Andrea da Conti di Segni [+1302] who suggested creating the Jubilee Year to quell unrest over the turn of the century.) Since then, every 50, and then later, 25 years, a Jubilee Year has been proclaimed by successive popes. The concept of a Jubilee Year harkens back to the Old Testament, “This fiftieth year you shall make sacred by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you…” (Leviticus 25:10). In 2015, Pope Francis proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee Year on the theme of Mercy; this upcoming Jubilee’s theme is Pilgrims of Hope. As the quote above says, a Jubilee Year is a year of forgiveness and reconciliation between adversaries and conversion.
One of the dominant symbols of the Jubilee Year is the Holy Door, which pilgrims pass through as part of their Jubilee Pilgrimage. Each of the Major Basilicas in Rome (St. Peter, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls will have a Holy Door, which pilgrims will pass through. These doors are only opened during a Jubilee year. For centuries, the doors were opened with a silver hammer, not a key, “because the doors of justice and mercy give way only to the force of prayer and penance.” On December 24th, Pope Francis will open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In the following weeks, he will open the remaining Holy Doors in the other major Basilicas in Rome.
Towards the end of 2025, our Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Consolation will embark upon a year-long celebration of our 100th anniversary as a province. Truly a time of jubilee!
In Loving Memory †friar Charles J. McCarthy
In Loving Memory +Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv. Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv., (73) was called home by Sister Death on November 28, 2024, in Albuquerque, NM. Friar…
Read More Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
A Jubilee Year “is a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin; it is a year of reconciliation between adversaries [and] of conversion. A Jubilee Year…
Read More In Loving Memory †friar Charles J. McCarthy
In Loving Memory +Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv. Friar Charles J. McCarthy, OFM Conv., (73) was called home by…
Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
A Jubilee Year “is a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin; it is a year…
The Road Less Traveled
In late 2019, I received an invitation from the former Zambian Minister of Health to come to Zambia and visit…
I just think is versatile enough. As always, there are better and worst, but I feel satisfied with the product. they are giving what you see in the demo and is a great solution for websites.
John Smith
developer NASA
Great theme. It’s the second I have bought from you & I am very impressed.. I have bought a lot of themes but only ever given two 5 star ratings, both for your items. Your work is the best on themeforest – cheers!!
Samantha Green
buyer
Like the theme design. But the biggest thanks for user support. This is a very important, if not the most important indicator. We will recommend!
Rob Smith
designer
I just think is versatile enough. As always, there are better and worst, but I feel satisfied with the product. they are giving what you see in the demo and is a great solution for websites.
John Smith
developer NASA
Great theme. It’s the second I have bought from you & I am very impressed.. I have bought a lot of themes but only ever given two 5 star ratings, both for your items. Your work is the best on themeforest – cheers!!
Samantha Green
buyer
Like the theme design. But the biggest thanks for user support. This is a very important, if not the most important indicator. We will recommend!
Rob Smith
designer
I just think is versatile enough. As always, there are better and worst, but I feel satisfied with the product. they are giving what you see in the demo and is a great solution for websites.
John Smith
developer NASA
Great theme. It’s the second I have bought from you & I am very impressed.. I have bought a lot of themes but only ever given two 5 star ratings, both for your items. Your work is the best on themeforest – cheers!!
Samantha Green
buyer
Like the theme design. But the biggest thanks for user support. This is a very important, if not the most important indicator. We will recommend!
Rob Smith
designer
I just think is versatile enough. As always, there are better and worst, but I feel satisfied with the product. they are giving what you see in the demo and is a great solution for websites.
John Smith
developer NASA
Great theme. It’s the second I have bought from you & I am very impressed.. I have bought a lot of themes but only ever given two 5 star ratings, both for your items. Your work is the best on themeforest – cheers!!
Samantha Green
buyer
Like the theme design. But the biggest thanks for user support. This is a very important, if not the most important indicator. We will recommend!
Rob Smith
designer
I just think is versatile enough. As always, there are better and worst, but I feel satisfied with the product. they are giving what you see in the demo and is a great solution for websites.
John Smith
developer NASA
Great theme. It’s the second I have bought from you & I am very impressed.. I have bought a lot of themes but only ever given two 5 star ratings, both for your items. Your work is the best on themeforest – cheers!!
Samantha Green
buyer
Like the theme design. But the biggest thanks for user support. This is a very important, if not the most important indicator. We will recommend!
Rob Smith
designer
I just think is versatile enough. As always, there are better and worst, but I feel satisfied with the product. they are giving what you see in the demo and is a great solution for websites.
John Smith
developer NASA
Great theme. It’s the second I have bought from you & I am very impressed.. I have bought a lot of themes but only ever given two 5 star ratings, both for your items. Your work is the best on themeforest – cheers!!
Samantha Green
buyer
Like the theme design. But the biggest thanks for user support. This is a very important, if not the most important indicator. We will recommend!
Rob Smith
designer
English 
Spanish