Rev. John J. O'Shea

O'Shea, Rev. John (Sean) J. 93, died Monday, November 27, 2017. From his ordination in 1950 to his retirement in 1999, Fr. John O'Shea served the people of Kansas a faithful spiritual leader. Born November 25, 1924 in Mourneabbey Parish, County Cork, Ireland, Father O'Shea was the first of eight children. Following his ordination at St. Patrick College, Carlow, Ireland in 1950, Father joined the ranks of young priests heading to America as requested by Catholic bishops due to the shortage of priests in this country. Father O'Shea served as Chaplain at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott and as associate pastor at St. Patrick's in Fulton and Holy Trinity in Little River. He was appointed pastor of Halstead's Sacred Heart Parish in 1960; St. Patrick Parish, Kingman in 1967; Holy Cross, Hutchinson in 1973; and St. Thomas Aquinas, Wichita in 1985, where he served until his retirement in 1999. Even after retirement, Father continued his personal ministry of visiting the sick and dying at the Catholic Care Center and hospitals in addition to filling in for other priests when needed. He was a priest of the Wichita Diocese for 67 years. Fr. O'Shea was a well-loved, kind, gentle servant leader. His passion for his Faith and for the people he served never wavered. While he lived in the United States, his love of Ireland never faltered as he made periodic trips back to the Isle of Erin to see family and friends. Father O'Shea loved history and genealogy. He embraced technology as it gave him freedom to do virtual visits to his homeland through Google Earth, Skype with family and friends, and the ability to connect his American friends with their Irish roots. He never left home without his iPad as he referred to it as his "special friend." Fr. O'Shea had four great loves in his life: his Catholic Faith, his family, his Irish heritage, and American citizenship. Building relationships with parishioners was one of Father O'Shea's favorite parts of his ministry and he loved to engage people in chats and share stories about Irish and American history, the California Missions, and folklore. Fr. O'Shea was preceded in death by his parents, Philip and Abina O'Shea; and by his brothers, Patrick J. and his wife, Kit, Philip C., Jeremiah C., and Denis J. O'Shea; and sisters, Mary Jane O'Shea and Elsie White. He is survived by one sister, Catherine (Michael) Jones; sisters-in-law, Elizabeth O'Shea, Philomena O'Shea; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins in Ireland, England, Australia, and the United States. A rosary will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 30, 2017; The Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 1, 2017, both in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 430 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS. Burial will be at 2 p.m. in Ascension Cemetery, 7200 E. 45th St. N., Bel Aire, KS. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Priest Retirement Fund, c/o The Catholic Diocese of Wichita, 424 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202. Downing & Lahey Mortuary - East Chapel. Share tributes online at: www.dlwichita.com