Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Neil Parsons, C.P . Born: February 16, 1911 Professed: August 4 1929 Ordained: May 22, 1937 Died: September 15, 2007 Neil was a student in Rome from 1937 to 1939. Neil loved to work outdoors, chopping wood into his eighties. He oversaw several construction projects for the Province. Neil served as Provincial from 1953- 1959 and consultor from 1947-1953, 1959-1962 and 1968-1976. Jimmy, Mary Eleanor, Joseph, Neil, Eleanor Agnes and Elizabeth in 1929. Neil’s brother Jimmy and sister Mary Eleanor in 1915. Neil and other Passionists have their picture taken with Pius XII.
Neil at mausoleum site of Mary Farrell in 1989. Retirement party in Redding, CA. - 1991. Portrait by a friend.
Rev. Neil J. Parsons, C.P. 1911 - 2007 Rev. Neil Parsons died September 15, 2007, in Lake Tahoe, California. He was 96 years of age and a member of the Passionist Community for 78 years and a priest for 70 years. Rev. Parsons was born Neil Joseph Parsons in Louisville, Kentucky, February 16, 1911, the son of Joseph and Eleanor Agnes (Millet) Parsons. His family and friends called him “Joe.” He was the second of four children, one brother and two sisters. His father was a railroad worker. The family attended Mass at the Passionist Sacred Heart Monastery Chapel, which served as the local church. Neil attended St. Agnes Grammar School, a two-room schoolhouse, from 1917 to 1924, then joined the Passionists in 1924 at their Seminary in St. Louis. In 1928, the year of Novitiate began and Neil professed vows as a Passionist a year later, August 4, 1929. His class was then assigned to Cincinnati to begin collegiate studies. Theological studies began in Chicago in 1933. The third year of theology was spent in St. Paul, Kansas, and Des Moines, Iowa; the fourth year in Louisville. Neil was ordained at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville by Archbishop John A. Floersh on May 22, 1937. After ordination Neil was sent to Rome for postgraduate studies at the Angelicum, but returned to Detroit in 1939 when World War II began in Europe. In Detroit he taught Philosophy and served as Director of Students for six years. In 1945 he was asked to study architecture at Notre Dame for one year. He is associated with the Passionist buildings in Birmingham, Sierra Madre and Citrus Height, California, Houston, Warrenton, Missouri, Detroit and renovation projects in St. Louis. In 1947 Neil was elected to the Provincial Council and served from 1947 to 1962, six years as Provincial (1953-59 – succeeding Father James P. White). It was during this time (1952) that Neil was asked by the Superior General, Father Malcolm La Velle, to be visitator to the Provinces of St. Joseph and St. Patrick (England, Ireland and Scotland). This lasted nine months. In 1962 Neil was assigned to the Passionist Community in Sacramento, where he served as Local Superior and Chaplain at Beale Air Force Base. In 1965 Neil was appointed local superior for the Passionist Community in Sierra Madre, California. In 1968 Neil was elected Consultor and was put in charge of Province investments and finances. It was in 1972 that, under Neil’s direction, the Province successfully negotiated with the Social Security Administration for Province members to participate in Social Security benefits. In June 1977 Neil moved to California to begin 14 years of hospital chaplaincy. Originally intend to serve at Mercy General in Sacramento, he was told that the position was filled. The Mercy Sisters directed him to Redding where they were looking for a Chaplain at Mercy Medical Center. He began his hospital ministry in November 1977. On his 80th birthday, he submitted his resignation due to failing memory and eyesight. A few months later Neil left Redding and was assigned to the Passionist Community in Citrus Heights (Sacramento), where he entered active retirement, assisting the pastoral needs of the Retreat Center and individual spiritual direction. Memorial Mass was held at Christ the King Retreat Chapel on Sunday, September 23, and burial at the Passionist Cemetery, Mater Dolorosa Retreat, Sierra Madre, California.
Memorial Mass Homily for Rev. Neil Parsons, C.P. September 23, 3007 Rev. Richard Parks, C.P. Christ the King Retreat Center Chapel Citrus Heights, California We come together this Sunday afternoon to honor a great Passionist priest, Neil Joseph Parsons. It is fitting that we gather here in this beautiful chapel of Christ the King Retreat Center, one of several buildings that Fr. Neil was responsible for in designing and constructing throughout Holy Cross Province. Historians and social scientists remind us that we humans are influenced and shaped by the times in which we live. Our friend Neil lived ninety-six years and the following events certainly “shaped” and impacted him: World War I, the World Wide Influenza Epidemic, the Great Depression, World War II, the Dropping of Two Atomic Bombs on Japan, the “Cold War” years, Three Major Economic Recessions, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Events of 9/11, and the War in Iraq. A long time friend of Fr. Neil in Northern California commented on the day of his death that the harsh and often violent times that Neil lived in fashioned a gentle and caring Passionist that brought about peace and love to all those he came into contact with. How true that insight is of Fr. Neil! I would like to honor this good man today by reflecting on three aspects of his life: Passionist, Ministries and Man of Prayer. PASSIONIST Fr. Neil was a Passionist for 78 years and a priest for 70 years. Neil Joseph Parsons was born in Louisville, Kentucky on February 16, 1911. He was the second of four children, with one brother and two sisters. His family and friends called him “Joe” and as a teenager he was given the nickname “legs”. It seems Neil was the fastest runner in the neighborhood and no one could stay up with him! The family attended mass at the Passionist Sacred Heart Monastery Chapel that served as the local Church. He attended St. Agnes Grammar School, a two-room schoolhouse from 1917-1924. Young “Joe” then attended the Passionist’s prep seminary in St. Louis for four years, graduating from high school in 1928. Next followed a year of novitiate (a year of training), after which he formally professed vows as a Passionist on August 4, 1929. His class was then assigned to Cincinnati to begin collegiate studies. Neil’s next four years were focused on theological and scriptural studies. He was ordained in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 22, 1937. Neil’s peers and the students he taught over the years remember an intelligent and prayerful Passionist. One former student of Neil’s described Neil’s philosophy this way, “Fr. Neil gently demanded the very best from himself and expected the same from others.” In 1988, Fr. Neil gave a day of recollection to the Passionist Community here in Citrus Heights. The theme focused on the topic, “Jesus on the Cross,” and the four talks reflected Neil’s Passionist Spirituality. The talks were: (A) Acceptance of reality (we surrender to Christ); (B) Holy Indifference (not being led on by our natural likes or dislikes); (C) Discernment (docility to the Holy Sprit); (D) Self Control (responsibility for our own behavior). Nineteen years later his message clearly reflects a relevant spirituality that kept Neil close to the Cross.
MINISTRIES After his ordination, Neil was sent to Rome for postgraduate studies at the Angelicum, but with the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Neil returned to our monastery in Detroit to teach Philosophy and also serve as director of students for several years. From 1947-1977, Fr. Neil began a 30-year ministry of service to Holy Cross Province, the Congregation of the Passion and the Catholic Church - six years as Provincial - several terms on the Provincial Council - many terms as a local Superior - supervised the construction of Passionist buildings (1) Birmingham, Alabama: (2) Sierra Madre, California; (3) Citrus Heights, California (4) Houston, Texas; (5) Warrenton, Missouri; (6) Detroit, Michigan. Neil was placed in charge of our Province investments (especially raising monies for our foreign Missions), and finances. He successfully negotiated with the Social Security Administration for Province members to participate in Social Security benefits. There is no doubt that had Fr. Neil gone into the business world, he would have been a C.E.O. of a large and successful corporation. MAN OF PRAYER In June of 1977, Fr. Neil moved to California to begin 14 years of hospital Chaplaincy at the Mercy Medical Center in Redding, CA. It proved to be a significant point in Neil’s life. He had always been a “man of prayer,” but now helping those in need, young and old alike, many physically and spiritually suffering, impacted Neil in a profound way. Two years ago, I began taping an oral history with Fr. Neil. In the course of our conversations, he mentioned how his hospital ministry had changed him. It was the first ministry he had ever experienced where he felt the “presence of Christ” right there with him on a consistent basis. Whereas building buildings and raising money to support our missions was good and noble, hands-on-ministry, helping the sick and suffering had touched and changed him. Neil said he felt that the Lord had called him to a deeper spirituality through his hospital chaplaincy! When Fr. Neil’s death notice was published in the Sacramento Bee, I received two calls from individuals who Fr. Neil had spiritually directed several years ago. Both mentioned how Fr. Neil’s hospital ministry had shaped and formed them. Each of them (using different terminology) exclaimed that Neil had become more “Christ-like” in his approach towards others and more accessible to others. Another aspect of this “man of prayer” was his love of Scripture. Many years ago when Fr. Neil’s eyes still allowed him to read scripture on a daily basis, I was visiting the Sacramento Community for a few days. When I arrived, I found Neil chopping wood behind the Community residence. The temperature was in the low 90’s, and Neil was soaked with perspiration. It seems he had been struggling for two weeks over a passage from John’s Gospel. Later, sipping lemonade on the back porch, I asked him what was going on with him, working in that hot weather and chopping all that wood? He replied that midway through his chopping wood he seemed to have a “break-through” regarding his dilemma with John’s passage, and he got so
distracted with the insight that he forgot he was chopping wood. It so happens that during his distraction he chopped about a fifth of a cord of wood - and in 90-degree weather at that! I mentioned that Thomas Merton had similar distractions while cutting wood at his hermitage. Neil’s red face got even redder! He paused and responded, “Richard, I’m not in his league!” My unspoken though was, “Oh, yes you are, Neil!”. Years later, the oral history tapes captured Fr. Neil’s love of “absorbing” Scripture, word by word. It was obvious that as he quoted from memory the passages from Scripture, he was praying not just the words but the content and message of the words. FINALLY I want to acknowledge Dorothy Dumbra, a unique and loving friend of Fr. Neal. Over the past several years she had consistently ministered to Neil. Her knowledge, care and skills gave meaningful extra years of life to our brother. She was a true blessing to Fr. Neil, and we thank her for her dedication,
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.