Funeral Mass will be celebrated Sept. 27, 11 a.m. at St. Louis of France Church, La Puente, for Msgr. James R. Mulcahy, pastor emeritus, who died Sept. 17 at Santa Teresita Hospital, Duarte. He was 91.

Msgr. James R. Mulcahy

A Vigil Service for Msgr. Mulcahy --- a priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for 67 years --- will be held Sept. 26, 7 p.m. at St. Louis of France. Committal will take place at Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles.

Msgr. Mulcahy was the founding pastor at the La Puente parish, serving nearly 50 years --- from 1955 to 1987 as pastor, then as pastor emeritus for the past 17 years. He recalled in an interview that Cardinal James Francis McIntyre had told him, "Go down there and build a parish."

Born July 6, 1913 in Limerick, County Kerry, Ireland, Msgr. Mulcahy was ordained June 20, 1937 from All Hallows College in Dublin for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, beginning his priestly ministry 11 days after ordination as an associate pastor at St. Alphonsus Church, East Los Angeles.

He also served as an associate at St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Agnes and St. Cecilia, Los Angeles; St. Helen, South Gate; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Newport Beach; and St. Thomas the Apostle, Los Angeles, the latter assignment from 1946 to 1955.

He became pastor of St. Louis of France on May 10, 1955, retiring May 31, 1987. In 1980 he was named a prelate of honor (monsignor) by Pope John Paul II.

In July 2003, St. Louis of France honored Msgr. Mulcahy on his 90th birthday. Parishioners continued to enjoy his presence in parish ministry life and his company at parish events (including on trips with the seniors group), until he moved to Santa Teresita last month.

Msgr. Mulcahy is survived by several nieces and nephews in Ireland. Cards and letters of condolence may be sent in care of Mrs. Kathleen Hart, 1816 Foster Ave., West Covina, CA 91790.

Fr. Nicodemus Ricalde
Funeral Mass was held Sept. 11 at St. John the Baptist Church in Baldwin Park for Father Nicodemus A. Ricalde, 70, who died Sept. 3.

A native of the Philippines, Father Ricalde served in two archdiocesan parishes: St. John the Baptist in Baldwin Park from 1989-1992 and Sts. Peter and Paul in Wilmington from 1992-94. Recently, he had been living with family members during his retirement.

Sr. Gertrude Sullivan, CSC
Funeral Mass was held Sept. 13 at the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Notre Dame, Indiana, for Holy Cross Sister Gertrude Sullivan, who died Sept. 9 at Notre Dame's Saint Mary's Convent.

Born in Afton, Iowa, Sister Sullivan served as an elementary school teacher at a number of western Catholic schools, including St. Barnabas in Long Beach (1950-51) and St. Paul in Los Angeles (1953-58). From the early '70s to the late '90s, she engaged in social work and pastoral health care, specializing in ministry to the aging in Southern California convalescent hospitals.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry with the Poor Fund, 401 Bertrand Hall, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, IN 46556.

Sr. Maria Vanderbeck, OP
Funeral Mass was held Aug. 25 at the Old Mission Church of Mission San Jose in Fremont, California for Dominican Sister Maria Vanderbeck, 96, who died after a lengthy illness Aug. 22.

Born in Brussels, Wisconsin, Sister Vanderbeck entered the Dominican Sisters in 1927 and made her first profession in 1928 at the Dominican Convent in Mission San Jose. In 1930, she began her ministry of teaching at Immaculate Conception Academy, San Francisco. She served as both a teacher and librarian at a number of schools over the years, including St. Elizabeth Elementary and High Schools, Oakland; St. Michael High School, Los Angeles; and Immaculata Academy and Marycrest High School, Portland, Oregon.

Sr. Dion Studer, OP

Survivors include family and friends in Oregon, Wisconsin and California. Burial took place at the Dominican Sisters Motherhouse in Fremont. Memorials may be made to the Dominican Sisters Care Center or the Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund, P.O. Box 3908, Fremont, CA 94539.

Sr. Dion Studer, OP
Funeral Mass was held Aug. 17 in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at the Dominican Motherhouse in Sinsinawa, Wis., for Dominican Sister Dion Studer, 81, who died on Aug. 13.

Born in Manly, Iowa, she joined the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1945 and served as an elementary teacher and principal for 37 years. She ministered in Iowa, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Illinois and California. From 1965-1974, she taught junior high grades at All Saints School in Los Angeles.

In the Orange Diocese, sister served as a junior high teacher at Saint John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa (1984-85). While at Saint Barbara School in Santa Ana, she was a part-time teacher and caregiver from 1986-1991 and also served as a special education teacher from 1991-95. After retiring from teaching, she served as a volunteer at her old school and also worked as a caregiver in the area until 2001.

Survivors include three brothers: Dennis Studer, Des Moines, Iowa; Donald Studer, Lake Leelanau, Michigan; and James Studer, Arlington, Virginia. Memorials may be made to Sinsinawa Dominicans, 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, WI 53824-9701.