Two veteran priests of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles --- both members of families in which two of their brothers became priests as well --- died recently.

Father Patrick J. Gorman
Funeral Mass will be celebrated June 2, 7:30 p.m. at St. Bernadette Church in Los Angeles, for Father Patrick J. Gorman, retired pastor, who died May 16 at age 78.

"His ministry to the sick was his greatest gift," said Father Rody Gorman, his brother. "He spent a lot of time in the hospitals and rest homes just sitting and talking to sick people of the parish and anyone he knew who was sick. He not only visited once, but he went back and back."

One of eight children, Patrick Gorman was born March 27, 1928 in County Galway, Ireland, and as a youth excelled in hurling, a traditional Irish game resembling hockey. He worked as a licensed unionized plasterer in Dublin for a number of years before he entered the seminary at American College in Louvain, Belgium.

Father Gorman was ordained for service in the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas on June 14, 1959; came to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1961; and was incardinated here in 1969. He served as associate pastor of St. Justin Martyr in Anaheim, St. Matthias in Huntington Park, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in Lomita, St. Rita in Sierra Madre and St. John Chrysostom in Inglewood. At St. Rita he served briefly as administrator pro-tempore.

In 1982 he was appointed pastor of St. Bernadette Church, a service he fulfilled until his retirement in 1999. During his retirement he continued to reside at St. Bernadette and remained in active ministry.

"He was a good preacher, because he was very human," added his brother. "He was close to the people and they loved him." In addition to Father Rody Gorman, retired pastor of St. Matthias in Huntington Park, a third brother became a priest and served in Cape Town, South Africa, before his death more than two years ago.

Following the Funeral Mass at St. Bernadette, funeral services and the burial of Father Gorman's ashes will take place in Woodford, County Galway. Cards can be sent to Father Rody Gorman at St. Matthias Church, 7125 Mission Pl., Huntington Park, CA 90255.

Father Joseph 'Bob' Maechler
Funeral Mass was celebrated May 20 at St. Christopher Church in West Covina for Father Joseph Robert "Bob" Maechler, 71, who died May 16.

Born March 22, 1935 in Glendale, he attended St. John Seminary in Camarillo and was ordained April 30, 1962, one of three brothers ordained as priests of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. One of those brothers, Father Gerald Maechler, died in January 2002.

Over the years, Father Bob Maechler served as associate pastor of St. Clement Church in Santa Monica, Mother of Sorrows in Los Angeles, Incarnation in Glendale, St. Basil in Los Angeles and St. Raymond in Downey. He served as administrator of St. Anthony, El Segundo, and as a pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist, Temple City. He served as senior priest at St. James the Less in La Crescenta, St. John of God in Norwalk and, since 2005, at St. Christopher.

"I always looked up to him even though he was our little brother because of the type of priest he was --- totally dedicated to his work," said Father Edmund Maechler. He said his brother Bob believed that priests should be happy people and be able to pass on their happiness to their parishioners. His sermons were peppered with stories "that made people laugh," said Father Edmund. He also enjoyed fishing and golf.

During his battle with lung cancer, Father Maechler wrote to his parishioners that he was putting himself in God's hands. He said he had, "total trust in God's love for me."

Cards can be sent to Father Edmund Maechler at 18401 Delaware St., Huntington Beach, CA 92648.

Sr. Perpetua Ledwidge, RSHM
Funeral Mass was celebrated May 10 at Visitation Church in Westchester for Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sister Perpetua Ledwidge, 85, who died May 6.

Born in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland (one of 15 children), she entered the Congregation in Tarrytown, N.Y., in 1938. After receiving a BA from Marymount College and later a Life Teaching Credential, she dedicated her life to teaching elementary school children in the greater Los Angeles area.

Locally, she taught at Marymount Junior School, Brentwood; St. Alphonsus, East Los Angeles; St. Francis de Sales, Sherman Oaks; St. Patrick, North Hollywood; and Visitation, Westchester. In her later years, she continued to help at Visitation School preparing second graders for First Reconciliation and First Communion.

Survivors include her brother, John; her sisters, Winnie and Alice; her niece, Pauline; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews in Ireland. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.

Sr. M. Martina Dietrich, OP
Funeral Mass was celebrated May 22 in Fremont, Calif., for Domincan Sister M. Martina Dietrich, 89, who died May 14.

A native of Portland, Oregon, Sister Dietrich was a member of her religious order for 72 years and taught in schools in California and Oregon, including Sacred Heart Elementary, Lincoln Heights. She also served in internal ministry for the Dominican Sisters.

She is survived by a sister, Ann Ritchie Brady, several nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to the Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund or Mother Pia Backes Education Fund, Fremont.