Funeral Mass was held recently in Baltimore for Josephite Father John George Harfmann, 77, who died Oct. 30 in Maryland after a long illness. Father Harfmann was pastor of St. Brigid Church in South Los Angeles during the early 2000s and also served locally as a director of the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization and Ministry. A New York native, Father Harfmann was educated at St. Brigid School and Cathedral College in Brooklyn and completed his college and theology coursework at St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, D.C. He was ordained on June 8, 1963 as a priest with the Josephite Fathers, whose primary work is ministry to the African-American community. He served at parishes in Alabama, Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Louisiana and California. Civic disturbances in the ’60s in Baltimore found him deeply involved with the city and the Archdiocese of Baltimore, seeking calm and solutions. In 2002, while serving as pastor of St. Brigid in Los Angeles, Father Harfmann told The Tidings he liked to describe the parish as “ABC — Afro-centric, Bible-based and community-oriented.” In 2008, he was assigned to New Orleans, Louisiana, as pastor in Corpus Christi parish. Post-Katrina, he worked to raise funds for food and shelter in support of emergency camps in northern Louisiana for the evacuees from the hurricane. His own parish had been heavily damaged during Katrina, and part of his work involved battling with FEMA for repair funds. He entered medical retirement in May of this year. Fr. John Hoa Quang Nguyen Funeral Mass was held Nov. 13 at Holy Angels Church in Arcadia for Father John Hoa Quang Nguyen, 67, who died Nov. 7. Born Jan. 26, 1945 in Vietnam, he was ordained in Saigon on April 28, 1972, and served for seven years in parishes before the threat of arrest forced him to leave for the United States. He served as an associate pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption, Claremont (1979-86), assisting the Man Coi Vietnamese Community as well as the Mong Trieu Vietnamese Community in El Monte. He also was an associate at St. Catherine Laboure, Torrance (1986-97); St. Finbar, Burbank (1997-2002); and Holy Angels since 2002. Through the years, he also celebrated Masses with the Vietnamese community at L.A. churches, including St. Kevin and Our Lady of Loretto. “I feel very happy to be a priest,” Father Nguyen told The Tidings in 1997. “I was trained to be of service to the people, and that is what I try and do.” Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery in Pomona. Memorial gifts may be sent to Holy Angels Church, Church Improvement Fund, 370 Campus Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007. Fr. John L. Bitterman, SS, former Notre Dame High School principal Funeral Mass was celebrated recently in Maryland for Sulpician Father John Lawrence Bitterman, 70, who died Oct. 5. Father Bitterman was principal of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks from 1980-87, overseeing the all-boys’ school’s transition to a co-ed institution in 1984. Father Bitterman was admitted to the Society of St. Sulpice in 1962 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Stockton on February 15, 1969. He held an M.A. in intellectual history and an S.T.B. degree in sacred theology from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Following his ordination, he began a long career in education, serving in Catholic high schools and seminaries in California, Washington, North Dakota and Africa. Most recently, he was director/superior at St. Charles Villa, Catonsville, Maryland from 2007 until February, when he retired. Memorial donations may be made to the Father John L. Bitterman, S.S. Memorial Scholarship fund at Notre Dame High School, 13645 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 or to St. Mary’s Spiritual Center and Historic Site, 600 North Paca St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Sr. Martha Neeser, CSC Funeral Mass was held recently for Holy Cross Sister Martha Neeser (Sr. M. Ambrosia), 97, who died Nov. 19 in Notre Dame, Indiana, while living in retirement at St. Mary’s Convent. Born on the family farm near Inkom, Idaho, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1932 and became a teacher. All of her mission years were spent teaching in western states. Locally, she taught at St. Philip Neri School in Lynwood from 1975-1982. Memorial contribution may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry with the Poor, Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 or online at www.cscsisters.org. Sr. Mildred Anne Dudine, SP Funeral Mass was held Nov. 30 at Church of the Immaculate Conception in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, for Sister of Providence Mildred Anne Dudine, 94, who died Nov. 21. A native of Jasper, Indiana, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence shortly after her 17th birthday. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and spent the next 55 years as a teacher of music in schools in Indiana, Illinois, California and Washington, D.C. Locally, she taught at Marywood, Anaheim (1940-41); St. Joseph, Hawthorne (1941-42); St. Therese, Alhambra (1947-48); St. Anthony, Gardena (1973-83); and St. Ambrose, Hollywood (1987-until her retirement from full-time teaching in 1992). Sr. Antoinette Drabeck, OP Funeral Mass was celebrated Nov. 29 at Queen of the Rosary Chapel in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, for Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Antoinette Drabeck, 85, who died Nov. 26. She had been a Sinsinawa Dominican Sister for 66 years. Born in Chicago, she entered her religious congregation in 1946 and taught for 29 years. Locally, Sister Drabeck taught at St. Thomas More, Alhambra (1966-72) and All Saints, Los Angeles (1972-74). Memorials may be made to the Sinsinawa Dominicans, 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, Wisconsin 53824-9701 or online at www.sinsinawa.org by clicking on “Donate Now,” then “Honor and Memorial Gift.” Jack W. Love, M.D., D.Phil. Funeral Mass was held Nov. 21 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Montecito for Jack W. Love, M.D., D.Phil., 82, who died Nov. 15 after a courageous battle with a brain tumor. Surviving family members include his son, Father John W. Love, pastor of St. Mark University Church in Goleta. Sr. Monica Anne (Barbara) Waldmann, CSJ Funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 6 at Carondelet Center in Los Angeles for Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Monica Anne Waldmann, 95, who died Nov. 28. Born in Greencreek, Idaho, one of nine children born to parents who had homesteaded on the Camas Prairie, Sister Waldmann (Barbara) was a farm girl whose family grew food to share with children in an orphanage in nearby Slickpoo. As a young woman of 17, she started working at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lewiston, Idaho, and came home in the spring to work on the family farm. She also worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Pasco, Wash., to earn funds to help the family pay expenses for her brother, Bob, to enter the seminary. In 1942, Barbara took the train to Los Angeles to enter the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. When she received the habit on March 19, 1943, she was also given her religious name: Sister Monica Anne. Her missions took her to Prescott, Arizona; Pasco, Washington; Banning, California; and Slickpoo, Idaho. She also worked at Mount St. Mary’s College, Carondelet Center and Santa Clara High School. She ministered for 18 years in Central Processing at St. Joseph Hospital in Lewiston, where she celebrated her golden jubilee. When she retired, she immediately joined the volunteers making stuffed animals for small children and blankets for newborns. Sister Waldmann was joyful, kind and helpful, from her youth to the end of her life, according to her fellow Sisters. She had a great sense of humor and loved showing a picture of herself in overalls to see if anyone could recognize her from her farming days. When she finally retired, she was a welcome addition to Carondelet Center as she enjoyed visiting with others and always had a happy disposition and a joyful spirit. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery. Sr. Patricia Arnold, CSJ Funeral Mass was held recently at Carondelet Center in Los Angeles for Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Patricia (Mary Frederick) Arnold, 82, who died Nov. 18. A native of San Diego, she graduated from the Academy of Our Lady of Peace there in 1948 and then entered community with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in Los Angeles. On March 19, 1949, she received the name Sister Mary Frederick but returned to her baptismal name of Pat in later years. At Mount St. Mary’s College, she earned her bachelor’s degree with a major in music and a minor in mathematics. She later added a major in math as well as a California Secondary Teaching Credential. Her teaching career started in elementary education at St. Cyril, Encino, and Transfiguration, Los Angeles. In 1958, she was missioned to Bishop Conaty High School to teach math and religion. Eventually, she took psychology courses and discovered that she loved the subject. She pursued fulltime study at Loyola University in Chicago, where she earned her Master’s and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Returning to Mount St. Mary’s College, she served for 14 years in many capacities as professor, counselor, faculty member in the residence hall, assistant to the academic dean and chair of the psychology department. She also served as personnel director until 1988. For 20 years, Sister Arnold ministered at St. Mel Church, Woodland Hills, as director of pastoral care. According to her fellow Sisters, she was full of ideas, creative in starting and following through on projects, “persuading others to join her, always gently but, in the end, with determination.” Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery.