Fr. Farrell touched many as author,
spiritual director
Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published May 19, 2006
Fr. Edward J. Farrell, author of 12 books on spirituality, longtime spiritual director, and the man who invited Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to send her Missionaries of Charity to Detroit, died at age 75 during an early afternoon nap on May 9.
"He took one breath here and the next one in eternity," said Sr. Marcella Clancy, SSJ, who discovered his body that afternoon at the Holy Trinity Oratory, a half-block from Most Holy Trinity Church in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood.
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Fr. Edward J. Farrell co-founded the Holy Trinity Oratory, a place for prayer, and helped start aspeaker's series. | He was in demand as a retreat director, having conducted retreats in more than 70 countries, but many also came to him for personal counseling. "There were just thousands who sought him out for guidance, or for a word of comfort, or for forgiveness or healing," said Sr. Clancy, who was co-director with Fr. Farrell of the Holy Trinity Oratory.
Besides providing a place for prayer, the oratory also sponsored a popular speaker's series, which most recently brought in Michigan Catholic columnist Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI.
Fr. Farrell was active in evangelization, ecumenism, social justice, promoting the insights of the Personality and Human Relations movement, and on behalf of peace. Sr. Clancy recalled that he always described his ministry as one of "hatching" – "He saw himself as hatching people into their best and deepest self."
She spoke of his deep devotion to the Eucharist. "The core of Fr. Ed's person and priesthood was Eucharist. He would no more consider not celebrating Eucharist each day than he would consider not breathing, not having his heart beat for a day. Eucharist was the breath and heart of his life."
Inspired by the writings of Blessed Charles Foucauld and Fr. Rene Voillaume, he joined 30 years ago with some other priests in forming the Jesus Caritas priestly fraternity, whose other members included Fr. Ronald DeHondt, Msgr. Patrick Halfpenny, Msgr. Donald Hanchon, (the late) Fr. Paul Lederman and (now Bishop) John Nienstedt.
"He had been our spiritual director in college and has been a great source of support for all of us ever since. He was such a remarkable, insightful person," Msgr. Hanchon said.
"It was like he was always discovering something new, and he had such a profound way of saying things. He was just so intensely alive to the presence of God," continued Msgr. Hanchon, pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in southwest Detroit.
And he added, "It's a great loss, but through the people he touched and the books he wrote, he'll have an influence for a long time to come."
Another member of the fraternity, Msgr. Halfpenny, said he cherishes having had Fr. Farrell as a teacher and later as a spiritual director.
"A man of deep prayer himself, he made the mystery of God approachable. He helped me develop a personal relationship with God," said Msgr. Halfpenny, pastor of St. Paul on the Lake Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms.
Calling him a good man whose goodness permeated his ministry, Msgr. Halfpenny said Fr. Farrell helped people understand the reality of God.
Speaking of the Jesus Caritas fraternity, he added, "I think Ed and Blessed Charles Foucauld are probably having an interesting conversation now."
Since 1997, Fr. Farrell has helped out when in town on weekends at St. Ambrose Parish, whose buildings are just inside Grosse Pointe Park, and whose boundaries also include some Detroit neighborhoods.
"I think he challenged this parish to be much more eucharistic in its outlook. For Ed, the Eucharist was everything – it was the sum and summit of his ministry," said Fr. Timothy Pelc, St. Ambroses' pastor.
Edward Joseph Farrell was born March 9, 1931, in Detroit, and grew up in St. Gabriel Parish in southwest Detroit.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Sacred Heart Seminary College, Detroit, then went on to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome through the North American College house of studies there. He later earned master's degrees from both the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and the University of Detroit Mercy.
Further studies in France earned him a licentiate in psychopedagogy from the Institute for Personality and Human Relations.
Ordained Dec. 16, 1958, Fr. Farrell served as assistant pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish Harper Woods (1957-60), then was pastor of St. Agnes Parish, Detroit (1978-89). He also served as vicar of the old West Detroit Vicariate (1988-91).
Concurrently, he was on the faculty of Sacred Heart Seminary (1961-78), teaching Latin and Greek, and was spiritual director to college seminarians (1967-78). He later served as director of formation for Sacred Heart Major Seminary's Institute for Ministry and was in residence at the seminary until moving to Holy Trinity Oratory several years ago.
Fr. Farrell received the seminary's Bishop Donnelly Award for Outstanding Clergy Alumnus in 1982, and he served on a number of boards and organizations.
Fr. Farrell is survived by two sisters, Mary Catherine Swaney and Joan Abate; and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral Mass was celebrated last Saturday, May 13, in the chapel of Sacred Heart Major Seminary by Cardinal Adam Maida. Fr. Keith Hosey of the Diocese of Gary, Ind., was homilist.
Burial was in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield.
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