1925 - 2017
Visitation
January 22, 20173 PM - 5 PM
St. John the Evangelist Church 115 Middlesex St. North Chelmsford, MA 01863
Funeral
January 23, 201711 AM
St. John the Evangelist Church 115 Middlesex St. North Chelmsford, MA 01863
Rev. Francis Barry Leonard of North Chelmsford, MA died Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at Beth Israel Hospital in Needham, MA.
Born in Brockton, MA on June 7, 1925, the son of the late Browning D. and Margaret (Barry) Leonard. He was a graduate of Coyle High School in Taunton, MA with the class of 1942. He attended Boston College, a graduate of St. John’s Seminary with the class of 1950, also studied at the Episcopal Divinity College, Harvard University and received his Masters in Theology from St. John’s Seminary in 1980.
Fr. Leonard served throughout the state of Massachusetts and Vermont including, St. Mary’s in East Walpole, MA, he served for three years at St. Andrew’s Parish in Waterbury, VT, for ten years at the Star of the Sea in East Boston, then for seventeen years at the Immaculate Conception Church in Everett, and for 22 years as Pastor of St. John Vianney in Revere. He retired in 2000; where he was a senior priest in residence at St. John the Evangelist Church in North Chelmsford, MA.
Fr. Leonard is survived by his cousin, Barbara DeLuca and her family of Newton, MA.
Fr. Leonard was the brother of the late James Leonard.
Reception of his body Sun. at 2:30 pm followed by a wake from 3 to 5 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church, 115 Middlesex St., North Chelmsford, MA 01863. A Funeral Mass will be Mon at 11am. Burial in the Calvary Cemetery, Brockton, MA. Memorials may be made in his name to the Pine Street Inn, 444 Harrison Street, Boston, MA 02118. ARRANGEMENTS BY DOLAN FUNERAL HOME, 106 MIDDLESEX ST. CHELMSFORD 978-251-4041.
A former parishioner
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I remember an angry Fr.Leonard berating Bernard Law at mass one Sunday for his role in sexual abuse by priests.He did this while Law was still in power in Boston. He was one of the few voices at the time to speak out against Law.
steve
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“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
God bless you Fr. Leonard and may He welcome you home.