Father John M. Lagomarsino, 78, of Bristol

Posted 2/21/18

Father John M. Lagomarsino, 78, of the Columban Fathers, Ferry Road, passed away on Feb. 13, 2018, at Philip Hulitar Hospice Center.

Born on Nov. 6, 1939, in Sacramento, Calif., he was the son …

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Father John M. Lagomarsino, 78, of Bristol

Posted

Father John M. Lagomarsino, 78, of the Columban Fathers, Ferry Road, passed away on Feb. 13, 2018, at Philip Hulitar Hospice Center.

Born on Nov. 6, 1939, in Sacramento, Calif., he was the son of Louis L. Lagomarsino and Helen (Higgins) Lagomarsino. He is survived by his older brother, Dr. Paul Lagomarsino, and his younger sister, Mrs. Lucia Foster and her husband George. 

Fr. Lagomarsino attended Sacred Heart Grade School and later Christian Brothers High School (1953-55), as well as Sacramento Senior High School (1955-57). Afterwards, he attained a B.A in History from Sacramento State College.

In 1961 he joined the Peace Corps and was among the first group assigned to the Philippines. There he met the Columbans while teaching English as a Second Language in Ilog, Negros Occidental. 

He returned to the United States in 1963 and applied to the Columban seminary. He began his studies at St. Columbans College and Seminary in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. His Spiritual Year (1964-65) was spent at the Columban seminary in Bristol, Rhode Island. Later, he studied Philosophy and Theology at St. Columbans Major Seminary, Milton, Mass. He completed theology studies at St. John Archdiocesan Seminary, Brighton, Mass., where he received a Bachelor of Divinity degree in December 1969. With his Columban classmates he participated in the deaconate program in the Virgin Islands under the guidance of Frs. George Nolan and Thomas Normanly.

John was ordained on June 13, 1970, at Sacred Heart Church, Sacramento, by Most Rev. Alden J Bell, Bishop of Sacramento. In September of that year, he returned to the Philippines, where he began parish work in Isabela, Negros Occidental. After two years he went to Kabankalan and then to Daconcogon. He later served as President of Binalbagan Catholic College and as Bursar at the Columban House in Batang.

In 1977 he returned to the United States and, after doing a course in Clinical Pastoral Education, began a program in spiritual direction at the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, Mass. After the completion of the program he received a Th.M. degree from Weston School of Theology in May 1979. Upon returning to the Philippines, he was assigned to Ozamis City, Mindanao, where he became the spiritual director for Columban seminarians on an Overseas Training Program.

In 1980 Fr. Lagomarsino returned to the United States, where he did promotion and vocation work in San Francisco from October through December. He then began accounting studies at Creighton University, Omaha, and served as Assistant Regional Bursar. Later, in March 1983 he became the Regional Bursar.

After the death of his mother in March 1982, John and his father took a trip to Italy. They stayed at the Columban house in Rome, and then went to Genoa to visit the ancestral home village of Lagomarsino.

From May 1989 until April 1991, John was engaged in Mission Awareness and Vocation work in Quincy, Mass. However, wishing to be near his elderly father, he asked permission to do parish work in the Sacramento area, and was assigned as Parochial Vicar to St. John the Evangelist Parish in Carmichael, Calif. His father passed away in February 1992. In 1996 John became the administrator of the parish, where he served until his retirement in 2005.

During his time in St. John the Evangelist Parish and later in retirement, John dealt with several health issues. He fell and broke his hip last December, which exacerbated those health issues and, as a consequence, he was moved from Sacramento, Calif., to St. Elizabeth Manor, Rhode Island, at the end of January. The Regional Health Care Coordinator, Pam Serbst, ensured that he received the support and care he needed during his final illness.

His classmate, Chuck Lintz, and Jim Dwyer were with him at the time of his passing from this world to his Creator. May his soul rest in peace.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Fr. Lagomarsino was con-celebrated by Fr. Mark Mengel, Fr. Charles Lintz and Fr. Robert O’Rouke on Feb. 16 at the St. Columban’s Chapel.  Burial followed in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Arrangements are with the George C. Lima Funeral Home. www.limafh.com

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