Fr. Francis J. Murray

Of Jackson passed away on Monday, June 2, 2014 at the age of 87 years. He was born in Kalamazoo, MI, the son of Dennis F. And Dorothea (Kempf) Murray. He attended St. Augustine elementary and high school in Kalamazoo. He then attended seminaries in Grand Rapids, Detroit, Cincinnati and Plymouth and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1951 in Lansing, MI by Bishop Joseph H. Albers. He served as associate pastor at parishes in Flint, Jackson and Lansing. In 1958 he earned a MSW degree from Catholic University, Washington Dc.

He became the first Pastor of St. Ann Church, Gull Lake and founded the Catholic Social Service of Kalamazoo in 1958 and was its' first Director. In 1965 he was transferred to Lansing to be Director of St. Vincent Home for Children and the Office of Social and Community Services (now Catholic Charities) of the Diocese of Lansing. Under his direction lay professional Social Workers were hired to be the Directors of the local agencies in Flint, Lansing and Kalamazoo. The Jackson agency was established in 1968. In 1970 he was named Pastor of St. Therese Parish, Lansing and remained there nine years. He was transferred to St. John the Evangelist Parish, Jackson in 1979. He served as Pastor there until going to St. Mary Parish, Manchester in 1990. He was a member of various Diocesan committees and was State Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus in 1960-62. He attained Senior Priest status in 1997 to live in Jackson.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, June 5, at 10:30 AM at St. John Catholic Church with Bishop of Lansing, The Most Rev. Earl Boyea as the celebrant. Interment will follow at St. John's Catholic Cemetery.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 4, from 1-9 PM at St. John Catholic Church, with a vigil service taking place at 7:00 PM.

Donations in his memory may be made to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church or to the Jackson Interfaith Shelter.

Desnoyer Funeral Home
Family owned for 124 years