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All ministries in the life of the parish are an outgrowth of our Baptismal
commitment to live our faith and minister to our brothers and sisters. Let us
reflect on GIVING LIFE as we consider the importance of beginning a bereavement
ministry.
This is a ministry that touches all of us. If you have ever suffered the loss
of a friend, parent, spouse, or child you know how hard the grieving process can
be. By reaching out through this ministry we are able "give
life" back to others who may feel that their live has ended due to deep
sorrow and feeling of isolation.
If you feel that the Holy Spirit may be calling you to this ministry--or if
you feel that you or someone you know could benefit from it, please leave a voicemail message for
Lem Amit through the parish office: 323-664-2111 ext. 301 or, if you
prefer, email to: omgcbereavement@hotmail.com
NORMAL EXPERIENCES DURING GRIEF
Other helpful information: GriefConnections
 
Rev. Walter P. Vogel, O.S.A.
1935-2007
 
Rev. Thomas McLaughlin, O.S.A.
1925-2008
It is with no small blend of sadness mixed with gratitude and joy that the Augustinian Province of St. Augustine in the West announces the death of our brother Rev. Thomas J. McLaughlin
O.S.A. At a time when the Christian church is preparing to celebrate the full meaning of the paschal mystery, Fr. Tom has been invited early (he died on March 6~) to celebrate the Easter event. This is the reward for which he lived his entire life.
Tom was born in Cleveland, Ohio on June 15, 1925. In 1940, his family, including parents Charlotte and William McLaughlin and younger brother Ted (who survives him), moved with Tom to San
Diego when Tom was a teenager. It was in San Diego that Tom was introduced to the Order of St. Augustine, the Augustinians, who taught him at St. Augustine's High School.
In the second semester of his senior year at St. Augustine's, Tom entered the Army Air Corps, and
was commissioned a lieutenant in 1943. He served as navigator in twenty-five flight missions over Germany. On February 27, 1945 Tom's plane was shot down over Germany and he became a Prisoner of War until he was liberated on April 29th of the same year. It was from this trial that folklore came. His family and friends believed that Tom had died in the war, and no communication indicated otherwise. After the war was over, Tom returned to San Diego, bringing shock and elation. It was
from this point that Tom received the nickname Spook, as if others had seen a ghost.
As soon as he returned, Spook McLaughlin entered the Augustinian seminary. He professed vows as an Augustinian friar on September 10, 1947 and was ordained a priest on May 30, 1953. His humility would cause him to evaluate his ministry as thrilling for him, but only ordinary for the people whom he served; that assessment would be challenged by the thousands of students he taught and those he served in parochial ministry. Fr. Tom was an excellent science and religion teacher to the students of Villanova Prep School in Ojai and St. Augustine High School in San Diego. Tom thought that he would be a high school teacher all of his priesthood until he was asked to be the Director of
Formation for Augustinian seminary students in 1971.
Four years later he fell in love with parish ministry, and served most of his remaining years as a priest ministering at St. Thomas Aquinas in Ojai, St. Patrick's in San Diego, and Our Lady of Grace Church in Castro Valley, California. In all three parishes he basked in the reciprocal love of grateful parishioners whose admiration helped them easily forgive Fr. Tom's signature bluntness or his inability to remember names.
In the last few years of his priesthood, Tom was the go-to person for any Augustinian parish whose priest needed a respite from the job. Fr. Tom's love for his ministry was only surpassed by his love
for the Augustinian community. Among his final words were repeated statements about how he will miss community life and how he loved ministering.
A rosary-vigil for Fr. Tom will be recited at St. Patrick's Church in San Diego on Friday evening, March 14th at 7:00. Fr. Tom's mass of resurrection will be celebrated at the same church on Saturday, March 15th at 10:30 in the morning. The burial will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery following a light lunch in the parish hall after the liturgy.
In lieu of flowers the Augustinians suggest a donation in Fr. Tom's memory to the Augustinian Guild. Please remember Fr. Tom, the McLaughlin and Augustinian families, as well as all of his admiring former students and well-loved parishioners, in your prayers.
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