It is with great sorrow that St. John Chrysostom Parish announces the death of Rev. Donald Paul McNamara, our beloved priest in residence. Fr. McNamara went home to the Lord on October 5, 2023.

May he rest in eternal peace.

Fr. McNamara, who spent months each year as a missionary in Venezuela from 1970 to 2020, had served at St. John's in recent years whenever he returned to the United States.

He had been in full-time residence at the parish since 2020, presiding at Masses and funerals, visiting parishioners in hospitals and homes, and celebrating baptisms and weddings for friends and extended family.

Known as "Fr. Mac" to his American parish family, "Padre Don" to his Venezuelan parish family, and "Jet" to his brother priests for his energy and world travels, Fr. McNamara was ordained in 1961 and celebrated 60 years of priesthood in 2021.

He was known for his unfailing humbleness, kindness, enthusiasm for life, spirit of gratitude, and lived faith.

Fr. McNamara brought a smile and welcoming spirit to everyone he met -- and he met everyone. Before any baptism, funeral, wedding or Mass, he would typically go into the church and personally greet every person there. By the time Mass began, he knew everyone and their story, and they loved him for it.

He was a genuine and total "people person," popping in on colleagues and friends daily, driving miles to visit less-robust peers, chatting frequently with loved ones in Venezuela, hosting lunches, and meeting priest friends for weekly dinners. He never declined a request to anoint or visit anyone, even days before he died.
A Philly boy to his bones, Fr. McNamara rejoiced in all of his hometown teams, win or lose. Their setbacks never shook his hardwired optimism.

He was very proud of his alma mater, the former Most Blessed Sacrament in Southwest Philadelphia, and remained close to his MBS friends throughout his life.

In addition to his many years of service in Venezuela, he served at nearly a dozen parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, including St. Anastasia in Delaware County; St. Cecilia and SS. Simon and Jude in Chester County; and St. John the Evangelist, St. Bonaventure, St. Rose of Lima, St. Raymond of Penafort and St. Veronica, all in Philadelphia.
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Fr. McNamara, 91, remained active and healthy until his final hours. He was stricken shortly after his last Mass on Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, just before he was to celebrate a private Mass for friends visiting from Venezuela.

In his final homily, available here, Fr. McNamara speaks with great compassion for his Venezuelan friends and for other refugees and immigrants like them.

"While we mourn his loss today, we are grateful to God for the incomparable gift of Fr. McNamara -- for his life and his spirit, his friendship and his tireless ministry," said Fr. Edward J. Hallinan, Pastor of St. John Chrysostom Parish.
Fr. McNamara is survived by his brother, Peter (Carole) McNamara, of Phoenixville; many nieces and nephews; and several generations of devoted parishioners, family members and friends on two continents.

Visitation for Fr. McNamara will be at 9 am Wednesday, Oct. 11, at:
St. John Chrysostom Church
607 S. Providence Rd.
Wallingford, PA 19086

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 am Oct. 11, with Archbishop Nelson Pérez as Principal Celebrant. Interment will be in SS Peter and Paul Cemetery, Springfield.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.

Please keep Fr. McNamara and his loved ones in your prayers.

​Deborah Stinger (nee Green), a long time resident of Ridley Twp went home to be with her Lord Jesus on September 13, 2023. She was predeceased by her parents, James Douglas and Eleanor (Vanore) Green. She was a loving mother, grandmother & friend. She is survived by her long time partner Fred Furst, her 4 children, Bill (Ann), Doug (Michelle), Gina Harness (Kevin Herman), & Eleanor (Rob Grimaldi), and 6 Grandchildren, Christopher Stinger, Giovanni Harness, Gabriella Harness, Sabrina Baxter, Sierra Stinger, and Savanna Stinger, her brother Jim Green (Lyndy) and a nephew Jimmy and nieces Laura and Dana and countless other relatives.  

Her Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, September 22nd at 10:30am at Notre Dame De Lourdes Church 990 Fairview Rd. Swarthmore, Pa.  Friends and family are invited to her viewing from 9:30-10:30am in church.  Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Media, PA.  

​Larissa Kyj was born March 17, 1950, in Munich, Germany. Her parents, Maria and Evhen Lozynskyj, were part of a large group of Ukrainian war refugees awaiting resettlement in Post-war Europe. Her father survived a series of death-defying episodes first as a political prisoner in the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp and then the 1945 prisoner Death March before the arrival of the Allies. The family was sponsored by the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC) for immigration to America; Larissa spent her first birthday on Ellis Island. Her smiling face, under the title “Young Arrival”, was featured in The New York Post.
The Ukrainian Village section of lower Manhattan became her new home. She attended St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Elementary School and high school at St. Michael’s Academy. Throughout these years, she was an active member of the Ukrainian American Youth Organization. She was an excellent student at Fordham University where she studied economics and afterwards was accepted by Columbia University for her doctoral work. Throughout her university years she was an active member of Ukrainian student clubs and academic organizations writing articles for a student publication focusing on the Ukrainian dissident movement in The Soviet Union.
She met her husband, Myroslaw, in 1973 on a blind date for a New Year’s Eve party in New York City. They were married September 7, 1974. In the span of ten years, she had three children, completed doctoral course requirements, and successfully defended her thesis. Throughout her life she was a loving mother always interested in her children’s moral, religious, academic, and social development. For her daily life consisted of the doing little things that summed together made a difference. She drove her children and grandchildren to Ukrainian preschool, camps and Ukrainian Saturday School thereby immersing them in their heritage. She was a loving grandmother who during the pandemic sat with her grandson Nikolas navigating online kindergarten classes. Larissa was hardly a sports fan but attended her boys’ football and basketball games along with daughter Lada’s volleyball matches.
 Larissa was an active member of her church choir. Professionally, she taught accounting for over 25 years at Rowan University and was an accomplished researcher. Added to mother, wife, educator was her lifelong activism in Ukrainian affairs. She served for many years as president of the organization that sponsored her family. Larissa spent many hours putting into action the organization’s slogan of “Brother-to-Brother” humanitarian assistance both in America and Ukraine. Larissa traveled to all corners of Ukraine by plane, train, and automobile to identify humanitarian needs that UUARC could fund and evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs. Through her efforts potential large donors were identified and major financial support enabled UUARC to sustain and expand programs. Locally programs like citizenship classes helped integrate immigrants into American society.  In Ukraine the adopt a grandmother/grandfather program linked American donors with specific needy individuals. The expanding scope of UUARC’s work necessitated additional resources. Larissa’s knowledge of financial instruments guided the organization to professionalize its money management and donor engagement. She was recognized for her service to Ukraine by presidents Victor Yushchenko and Petro Poroshenko. President Volodymyr Zelensky, in 2022, awarded her The Order of Princess Olha 3rd class for her distinguished humanitarian service.
Larissa was stricken June 1, 2021, with a brain tumor. She underwent three major surgeries, radiation therapy and repeated stays in a rehabilitation facility. She came home to be with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She had precious moments when she could interact and smile at her youngest grandchild, Julian. She died September 6th, in the presence of her family and friends.

Larissa is survived by:
Husband: Myroslaw J. Kyj
Son: Olesh Kyj, (Jessica); Roman and Christian
Daughter: Lada Kyj-Salonidis; Nikolas, Lydia and Maria
Son: Evhen Kyj (Nicole); Julian
Brother: Askold Lozynskyj (Roksolana); Maksym and Kyra
 
Her Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, September 11th at 10am at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church 800 W. Lea Blvd. Wilmington, DE 19802.  Friends and family are invited for visitation on Sunday evening from 6-8 pm at the Carr Funeral Home 935 S. Providence Rd. Wallingford, PA 19086, and again on Monday morning from 9-10am in Church.  Burial will follow in St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery in South Bound Brook, NJ.
 
Donations in her memory can be made to UUARC (www.uuarc.org)
The Ukrainian Free University Foundation (www.ufuf.org)
Ukrainian American Youth Association UAYA (Venmo@CYMPhilly)
 
 

 


​Anthony (Tony) DiTommaso, of Wallingford Pennsylvania,  passed away Thursday August 31st, 2023.
He died unexpectedly at his home Thursday morning.
Tony was born in Bugnara, Italy to Salvatore and Gina DiTommaso on February 15th, 1948.
He immigrated to the United States on July 4th, 1955 and grew up in Aliquippa Pa. As a graduate of Hopewell High School, Tony enjoyed participating in many sports. Throughout his life, Tony had a love for coaching youth sports, traveling, dancing, working in his yard and being with his friends and most importantly his family.
Tony is survived by his wife Linda of 53 years and his son Michael (Alexis) and their four children Olivia, Luca, Mathew and Nicholas and his daughter Maria Ford  (David) and their two children Caroline and Declan. He is also survived by his sister Niva DiTommaso. Tony was predeceased by his parents Salvatore and GIna DiTommaso.
Tony was most passionate about being with his grandchildren and his extended family. He had an amazing zest for meeting new people and would always extend his help to anyone he met. He will truly be missed.
The family will be planning a celebration of life on Friday October 6 at Anthony’s Ristorante in Springfield Pennsylvania from 1 PM – 5 PM please join them to memorialize Tony’s life. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to For the Love of Grace Foundation, P.O.Box 654 Warrington, PA 18976 dedicated to finding a cure for childhood brain tumors and cancer. The foundation was created in honor of his niece, Gianna Grace.

                                                                                   Mary A. Lastowka
                                                                       August 21, 1918 – August 28, 2023
                                                                                  “A Wonderful Life”

Mary Lastowka, who graced our lives and this world for 105 years, died August 28, 2023, at her residence in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. Mary was a force of good which you sensed from the very moment you met her. The goodness she radiated could be felt. Mary was an example of how to live a life with joy, love, and grace through good times and bad.

Mary was born on August 21, 1918, to Thomas and Mary O’Malley in Chester, PA. She was raised on West 10th Street along with her sisters Catherine and Noreen, and brothers Thomas, James, and John in Resurrection of Our Lord parish, in a neighborhood known as Little Ireland. Aunts, uncles, and cousins were her neighbors; lively conversation, laughter, and music – jigs, reels, and later polkas – were the soundtrack of her life.

Mary met Joseph Lastowka at a dance at St. Hedwig’s Church. She was a tall, dark haired, Irish beauty with grace, good humor, sparkling blue eyes, an easy laugh, and an inviting smile. Joe was tall, strong, adventuresome, hard working and Polish. Mary’s cousin who knew Joe from high school vouched to Mary’s parents that Joe was “a great guy.” Truer words were never spoken and nothing more needed to be said. Mary and Joe were married in 1940 and honeymooned in Atlantic City. Vintage black and white photographs in family albums reflect their love, companionship, confidence, and sense of style, as well   their fun and outgoing spirit.

Mary was the loving mother to seven children – Joe, Marty, Tom, Marie, Jim, Jack, and Anne. Although collectively her seven children kept her very busy, Mary devoted time and care with each of themproviding nurture, guidance, and support in a way that allowed each to develop their individual personalities and talents, live their own lives, and raise their own families. Mary took great pride in each child’s accomplishments and particularly in the fact that she and Joe were able to provide college education for all seven children. The much too early deaths of sons Marty and Jack caused Mary the deepest pain that only a mother would know. At her 105th Birthday party Mary told her sister Noreen that she thought of Marty and Jack every day. Nevertheless, Mary continued to fully live in the present, enjoying the presence of all those blessed to be able to continue to be with her.

Mary was active in Resurrection parish’s Mothers Guild and Chester’s Irish Club. Without a doubt, however, what she enjoyed the most was the “Birthday Club” gatherings of her circle of West End lady friends that for seven decades gathered at each other’s homes, as well as Irish pubs, to celebrate their birthdays, even if busy family schedules required an August birthday to be celebrated in November. The fun and laughter that erupted during Birthday Club get togethers is legendary. As one much younger cousin wrote in her 105th Birthday card to Mom, “I’m not sure what you all were doing in those meetings, but it sure sounded like fun.”

Mary and Joe celebrated 40 years of marriage before Joe’s passing in 1981. Over the next 42 years Mary demonstrated her uncommon strength and familial leadership. Her home in Wallingford PA was the epicenter of family gatherings at Easter, Christmas, Mothers Days, birthdays and countless other occasions including many “Bringing In The Wren” celebrations on December 26, St. Stephen’s Day. As the “Lady of the House” Mary would happily “rise up” and accept the toasts from the Wren Boys and Girls. No one who entered Mary’s home ever left hungry, thirsty, or without a bag or pocketful of candies for the trip home.

After living on her own for 35 years, Mary moved into assisted living at the age of 97. At Glen Mills Senior Living Mary fully embraced the opportunity to make new friendships, develop new talents, sing more songs, answer news quizzes and trivia contests, solve puzzles, play bingo, and, most importantly, find new players who shared her love of pinochle and Sevens. Mary was one half of what surely was the only pair of 105 year old pinochle partners. No penny-ante pot was too small for Mary to try her best to win. She did so often and proudly displayed her baggies of coin and candy winnings.

As a nephew of Mary has written in tribute, “The likes of Mary Lastowka will never be seen again. Countless cousins, nieces and nephews share her spirit, humor, intellect, faith, and love of community, family, and friends.” As a great granddaughter has written, “Being one of your many descendants is a blessing.You are a blessing. Being graced with your love and presence was a blessing.” As a friend from afar observed, “The world is a little askew knowing that Mary is no longer in it.” Another wrote, “Mary  impacted far more people than any one of us knows.” Each of these comments is so very true.

The family of Mary Lastowka is grateful for the support and care provided to Mary by Glen Mills Senior Living, Compassus Hospice Care, and St. John Chrysostom Parish.

Mary A. Lastowka (née O’Malley) of Glen Mills, formerly of Chester and Wallingford, age 105 years, died August 28, 2023, widow of Joseph E. Lastowka, survived by sons Joseph, Thomas, and James Lastowka, daughters Marie Freeman and Anne Danilak, sister Noreen McGlinchey, daughters-in-law Virginia, Linda, and Sandra Lastowka and Sandra Pugh, and sons-in-law Robert Freeman and Stephen Danilak.  Predeceased by parents Thomas and Mary O’Malley, sons Martin and John Lastowka, sister Catherine Phillips, brothers Thomas, James and John O’Malley, and daughter-in-law Frances Lastowka. Mary was blessed with 16 grandchildren: Joseph and Gregory; Karen, Lynda, Deborah, and Andrew; Anthony and Mary; Jonathan; Conor, Carey, and Austin; Mary and Catherine; Stephen and Emily; and 11 great grandchildren: Adam and Daniel; Owen and Everett; Drew and Alexandria; Alyssa, Ava, and Gabriel; Violet and Henry.

Visitation Friday September 1, 9:30 a.m.to 10:45 at St. John Chrysostom Church 617 S. Providence Rd.  Wallingford, PA, Mass 11:00 a.m. Burial following at SS Peter & Paul Cemetery, Springfield, PA. 

For those who wish to view a recording of the services, the link below can be used for access.
 https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/f_7cRkdpa1aBAfhMMPtUDNHMqwRvQ8GzbieL5vZSJJgLvGk-GbCpD2YyE1hSyGR9.w7J5RtOdwTuUXddi

passcode:  QK+Uj3NJ