Msgr. O’Leary, St. Martin of Tours pastor emeritus, dies Funeral Mass will be held May 25, 10:30 a.m., at St. Martin of Tours Church in Brentwood for Msgr. Lawrence O’Leary, 84, pastor emeritus, who died May 17 after a long illness.
A priest of the archdiocese for 59 years, Msgr. O’Leary was a longtime director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and also headed the Lay Mission Helpers Association, visiting missions all over the world for over 20 years.
Born in Chicago, he moved to Long Beach with his family in 1942 and graduated from St. Anthony High School three years later. He attended St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo and was ordained in 1953, after which he ministered as an associate pastor at Los Angeles parishes: All Saints, Our Lady of Loretto, Precious Blood and Presentation of Mary, and at St. Lucy, Long Beach.
Active in the Society for the Propagation of the Faith since the late ’50s, he was assigned to the training of Lay Mission Helpers in 1959. He was appointed assistant director of the Propagation of the Faith for the archdiocese in 1963 and director in 1971.
By the time Msgr. O’Leary was named pastor of St. Martin of Tours in 1979, he had helped recruit, train and assign 60 volunteer teachers, nurses, catechists and doctors to mission lands in Africa, South America, South Pacific and Native American Reservations in the U.S.
He retired as St. Martin of Tours pastor in 2003, residing there as pastor emeritus until his death. Described as a “man of great faith,” he will be sorely missed by the parish. He is survived by his sister, St. Joseph of Carondelet Sister Jean O’Leary.
A vigil service will be held at St. Martin of Tours on May 24, 7 p.m. Following the May 25 funeral and reception, interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. Condolences may be sent to: The O’Leary Family c/o St. Martin of Tours Church, 11967 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049-4220.
Fr. Juan Corominas, CMF
Funeral Mass was held May 1 at San Gabriel Mission for Claretian Missionary Father Juan Corominas, 91, who died April 26. A native of Spain, Father Corominas had served in the L.A. Archdiocese since 1966 as preacher, professor, associate pastor and chaplain.
Born in 1920, he grew up during tumultuous times in Spain and, at 17, enlisted in the army during the Spanish Civil War. The deep friendships he made with his fellow soldiers, some of whom died in his arms, and the brutality of the war sparked a turning point in his life. After the war, together with other army friends, he entered the Claretian Missionaries.
He made his first profession on July 16, 1942, and was ordained to the priesthood seven years later in Tarragona, Spain. Father Corominas became a well-known preacher and retreat master. Later on, he was made professor of philosophy and sociology in the Claretian Seminaries.
In 1962, he received a degree in philosophy from the Pontificia Angelicum in Rome, after which he was assigned to the Claretian Western Province in the U.S. From 1970-77, he studied at USC, earning two master’s degrees and a PhD in Spanish. He taught at Dominguez University and Compton College for many years.
Father Corominas also lectured in universities in Europe and Latin America, and his articles appeared in Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese publications. At Dominguez University, he founded the Instituto de Culture Hispanoamericana, which he later moved to Rancho Dominguez. He also co-founded the Casal dels Catalans de California. Among his many honors was an award from King Juan Carlos of Spain for his cultural and academic contributions to Spain, particularly to his native Catalan culture.
Assignments in the archdiocese included serving as a chaplain at the now-closed Santa Marta Hospital as well as assisting at Our Lady of Guadalupe Sanctuary from 1972-74. Father Corominas also served as an associate pastor at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Los Angeles in the mid-’70s.
He served mostly among the Spanish-speaking Catholic Mexican community in L.A., ministering with great devotion. His passionate preaching, ministry to families and his constant emphasis on education inspired and motivated many people. Burial was at the San Gabriel Mission.
Sr. Charleen Muñana
Funeral Mass was held April 3 at Carondelet Center in Los Angeles for Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Charleen Muñana (Lucy), 92, who died March 24.
Born in Mexico, her parents brought her to Los Angeles as a child, the youngest of five children. She attended St. Mary’s Academy, spent one year at Roosevelt High and then transferred back to St. Mary’s for her final year.
Entering the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1939 and making her first vows three years later, she taught at St. Patrick School in Los Angeles for seven years. Shortly before making her final vows in 1944, she became a naturalized American citizen.
During the next 50 years, Sister Mu√±ana navigated between elementary and secondary schools, between teaching the ABC’s and business courses, between being a teacher and an administrator while also being the superior of a local community.
At age 33, she was appointed superior of St. Joseph Children’s Home in Culdesac, Idaho, and principal of the parochial school. After several more years of teaching, she moved to the Carondelet Center in 1996. She volunteered weekly at Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital. According to her fellow Carondelet Center residents, she was “easy-going, quick-witted, generous and a good friend.” Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City.
Sr. Frances Alma McManus, SP
Funeral Mass was held May 19 at Church of the Immaculate Conception in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, for Sister of Providence Frances Alma McManus, 101, who died May 16. She had been a Sister of Providence for 83 years.
Born in Quincy, Illinois, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1928. Sister McManus earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and master’s degrees from Indiana University and Indiana State University.
She ministered in education for 47 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Washington D.C., California, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Locally, she taught at Marywood in Anaheim from 1951-55 and was principal there from 1955-61. Memorial donations may be made to the Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876-1007.
Fr. Anthony Iroz, OAR
Funeral Mass was held May 22 at St. Augustine Priory’s Our Lady Chapel in Oxnard for Father Anthony Iroz, a retired priest of the Augustinian Recollects, 98, who died May 15.
Born in Villavu, Navarro, Spain, he was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1936, in Bogota, Colombia. He had served in the archdiocese since 1987, living in residence at Cristo Rey Church in Los Angeles until 2008, when he moved to Mary Health of the Sick Convalescent Hospital in Newbury Park. Burial was at Santa Clara Cemetery, Oxnard.
Sr. Honora Barnacle, PBVM
Funeral Mass was held May 22 at the Presentation Motherhouse chapel in San Francisco for Sister of the Presentation Honora Barnacle (Patricia), 82, who died May 17. She had been a Sister of the Presentation for 65 years.
A native of San Francisco, she began her Catholic elementary school ministry in 1949, teaching in schools throughout California. From 1966-82, she taught at several Presentation high schools in the state, including at Our Lady of Loretto in Los Angeles. Besides teaching English courses at the high school level, she also moderated student musical productions and yearbook staffs.
