Fr. James Loughran, former LMU president, dies
Funeral Mass was held Dec. 30 at St. Aedan Church, Jersey City, N.J., for Jesuit Father James Loughran, president of St. Peter's College in Jersey City, who died Dec. 24 at age 66 from a fall down a staircase. His body was found Dec. 24 at the foot of the stairs and the cause of death was diagnosed as blunt force trauma from the fall.

From 1984 to 1991, Father Loughran served as president of Loyola Marymount University in Westchester. During his tenure there he raised the university's endowment from about $21 million to $106 million.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, he entered the Society of Jesus in July of 1958 a year after graduating from Brooklyn Prep. Father Loughran attended the College of the Holy Cross and Fordham University, where he earned a B.A. degree in history, summa cum laude in 1964. He later earned a master's degree and a doctorate in philosophy from Fordham. He was ordained on June 11, 1970 and took final vows on Dec. 8, 1978.

Father Loughran was an associate professor of philosophy at Fordham from 1974 to 1984 before coming to LMU as president.

A statement from LMU noted that, while at the university, "Father Loughran made a commitment to further LMU's reputation as a strong academic institution. He directed considerable financial resources to academics and lowered the minimum course load for professors from four to three, freeing up faculty for research and other scholarly and creative pursuits."

After leaving LMU he served as acting president of Brooklyn College in 1992 and interim president of Mount Saint Mary's College in Emmittsburg, Maryland, from 1993-1994. He was named the 21st president of St. Peter's College in 1995; he had taught philosophy there as a Jesuit scholastic in the 1960s.

"Throughout his life, Father Loughran put into practice the words of Saint Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, to serve as a man for others," said Eugene J. Cornacchia, provost/vice president for academic affairs at St. Peter's College. "Father Loughran led our institution with grace, dignity and a profound enthusiasm for all associated with Saint Peter's."

Sr. Ann Eileen Clancy, BVM
Funeral Mass was held Jan. 4 at the Marian Hall chapel in Dubuque, Iowa, for Sister of Charity Ann Eileen Clancy, 89, who died Jan. 1.

A native of Chicago, she graduated from Immaculata High School and Chicago Teachers College and taught in area public schools before entering the BVM congregation in 1942.

From 1944-51, Sister Clancy taught at Holy Family High School in Glendale and served as principal there from 1970-84. She was on the science faculty of Santa Barbara Catholic High School (later named Bishop Garcia Diego High School) in Santa Barbara from 1958-66 and also taught in Santa Ana as well as at schools in Phoenix, Arizona, and Wichita, Kansas.

Survivors include a sister, Sister Leonette Clancy, and a brother, James Clancy. Memorial donations may be made to the Sisters of Charity, BVM Retirement Fund, 1100 Carmel Drive, Dubuque, Iowa, 52003.

Elena Ramos
Funeral Mass was held Dec. 28 at San Gabriel Mission's Chapel of Annunciation for Elena Ramos, who died Dec. 18. Ramos was the founder of the mission's Christian service program, which she began with a number of parish volunteers in 1980.

Under Ramos' leadership, mission service program volunteers staffed a thrift store, distributed hundreds of food baskets to needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas and provided scholarships and donations to the parish elementary and high schools.

"Miss Ramos always said Christian service was a parish affair," said Becky Woolery, Ramos' niece who took over direction of the service program in 2004 due to her aunt's declining health. According to Woolery, Ramos didn't consider her volunteer work as "work," but her "playground."

Burial was at Resurrection Cemetery in San Gabriel. Memorial donations may be sent to San Gabriel Mission Christian Service, 428 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776.

Br. Andrew Aucoin, OH
Funeral Mass was held recently for Hospitaller Brother Andrew Aucoin, a founding member of the local St. John of God Brothers community.

A native of Newfoundland, he joined the Brothers of St. John of God in Montreal, Canada in 1936. In 1941, he set out with four Canadian Brothers to found a community in Southern California. Members of this early community ministered to the homeless on 22nd Street and Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles and later extended the mission to operating a nursing home in the San Fernando Valley.

After serving a number of years on the East Coast, Brother Aucoin returned to the West Coast to open a small nursing home and novitiate in Ojai. There, he was elected the superior to St. Joseph's in 1959 and again from 1962-65. During his latter years, Brother Aucoin lived and ministered in Apple Valley where he volunteered in St. Mary Desert Valley Hospital's pastoral care department until he fell ill with a brain tumor.

According to his community members, "Brother Andrew was a kind, soft-spoken man always looking out for the interests of those in need. He worked tirelessly for the homeless, aged and less fortunate…touching their lives with genuine love and compassion restoring them to a full sense of dignity."

Deacon Modesto Perez
Funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 2 at All Souls Church in Alhambra for Deacon Modesto Perez, who died Dec. 26. Deacon Perez was ordained with the first Spanish speaking archdiocesan deacon class in 1978. He was the father of Father Modesto Pérez, pastor of All Souls Church.

After initially serving in the archdiocese, Deacon Perez continued his ministry in the Diocese of San Diego beginning in 1981 when he moved with his wife to San Marcos to be closer to their grandchildren. He ministered in a number of parishes in North County until he took ill in June 2001.

Burial was at Mission San Luis Rey Cemetery in Oceanside. Survivors include Perez' wife, Nemesia, daughter, Raquel Johnston, Father Pérez, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Catherine Niga
Funeral Mass was recently held in Indonesia for Catherine Niga, 66, who died Nov. 11. Niga was the mother of Father Yosef Dowa, archdiocesan chaplain to the Indonesian Catholic Community.

Virgist Metoyer
Funeral Mass was held Aug. 19 at Holy Cross Cemetery Risen Christ Chapel for Virgist "MaMa" Metoyer, 96, who died Aug. 10. She was the mother of Sister of Mercy Mary Leonita Metoyer and Dorothy Metoyer Landers. In addition to her two daughters, she is survived by 14 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.