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Father Funk, Frederick pastor, dies

February 21, 2008
By George P. Matysek Jr.
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Local News, News, Obituaries

Father Wayne G. Funk, the longtime pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Frederick who was known for his encouraging, pastoral presence, died Feb. 16 at Frederick Memorial Hospital. The 70-year-old priest had battled cancer for nearly five years.

Archbishop William D. Borders celebrated a funeral Mass Feb. 20, with Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien offering the final commendation. Bishop W. Francis Malooly, western vicar, led wake services Feb. 19.

“One of the things that always impressed me about Father Wayne was that he seemed to be able to see the good in people and call it forth in a very down-to-earth way,” said Father Richard Murphy, who has been serving as co-pastor of St. John during part of Father Funk’s illness.

Father Murphy met Father Funk in Rome as a seminarian when Father Funk was serving on the faculty of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, a highly-regarded seminary. Father Funk was very encouraging of young men discerning the call to the priesthood, Father Murphy said.

“I remember times in the seminary when he had a lot more confidence in me than I did,” Father Murphy said.

Father Funk was pastor of St. John for 18 years. Among his accomplishments at the parish include regionalizing the parish school, restoring and air-conditioning the church, transforming the former convent into a pastoral center and introducing a ministry to Spanish-speaking Catholics, Father Murphy said.

Father Murphy remembered his friend as a leader to “worked strenuously to keep an eye on the budget.”

“He hired skilled people that he trusted and allowed them to do their ministries without micromanaging them,” said Father Murphy, noting that St. John is a large parish consisting of about 4,200 registered families.

Born in Baltimore, Father Funk was ordained to the priesthood in 1962 at the Church of Christ the King in Rome. His first assignment was to St. Agnes in Catonsville as associate pastor before being appointed to the faculty of the Pontifical North American College. He later served as associate pastor of St. Matthew in Northwood, becoming pastor there after several years as director of clergy personnel for the archdiocese.

Despite his illness, Father Funk was very active at the parish right until two weeks before his death. One of the last things he did before being taken to the hospital was celebrate Mass, Father Murphy said.

“It was really beautiful that some of us could be with him when he died,” said Father Murphy, noting that Father J. Kevin Farmer, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Community in Middletown, Father Rafael Murillo, associate pastor of St. John, Frederick, and Maria Johnson, archdiocesan director of Hispanic ministry, joined him in praying with Father Funk at his bedside when he died.

“He was a gracious man who was constantly doing things for others with no fanfare,” said Father Murphy. “He will be missed.”

Copyright © 2008 Catholic Review Media

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George P. Matysek Jr.

George Matysek, a member of the Catholic Review staff since 1997, has served as managing editor since September 2021. He previously served as a writer, senior correspondent, assistant managing editor and digital editor of the Catholic Review and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

In his current role, he oversees news coverage of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is a host of Catholic Review Radio.

George has won more than 100 national and regional journalism and broadcasting awards from the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association, the Catholic Press Association, the Associated Church Press and National Right to Life. He has reported from Guyana, Guatemala, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

A native Baltimorean, George is a proud graduate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School in Essex. He holds a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore and a master's degree from UMBC.

George, his wife and five children live in Rodgers Forge. He is a parishioner of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.

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