Reverend Mark M. Mengel, S.S.C.

Reverend Mark M. Mengel, Catholic priest with the Missionary Society of St. Columban and former pastor of Holy Name Parish in Springfield, Mass., died January 2nd of nonHodgkin lymphoma at the age of 81. Mark had a diverse and extraordinary life. He was born Sept. 12, 1943 in the 'Flats' of Holyoke. Following his ordination to the priesthood in 1971, the Columban's assigned him to lead a church in Santiago, Chile. As pastor, he served his parish during the time of the military coup that overthrew the democratic government of Salvador Allende. Amid the hostilities, many of his male parishioners in the barrio were arrested, disappeared, and remained unaccounted for. At the age of only 29, "Padre Marcos" became a public advocate for his congregation and their families. Defying the junta's crackdown on civil rights, Mark participated in prohibited anti-government demonstrations despite the acute danger. When interviewed after the upheaval by a reporter for the Washington Post, he said that although "there are times when I am afraid, I just want to be with the people. Safety first may be good for an airline, but it's not necessarily good for a priest." Throughout his life, Mark treated every person he encountered with dignity and respect, and he often gave voice to the voiceless. Upon his return to the U.S., Mark took on numerous roles for the Columbans. He was director of its Justice and Peace/Human Rights Office in Washington, D.C., then formation director of the Columban seminary in Chicago. In later years, Mark returned to Western Mass and parish work for the Diocese of Springfield. He was pastor of St. Teresa's Church in Pittsfield (now closed), then had a ten-year run at his beloved Holy Name Parish in Springfield, serving as pastor from 2008 to 2018. For his service and pastoral work, Mark was honored with the 2016 Christian Charity Award given by the Ancient Order of Hibernians as part of Holyoke's St. Patrick's Day festivities. Mark also served as campus chaplain of the Pope Francis Preparatory School (formerly Cathedral). To his surprise, the 2021 graduating seniors dedicated their class yearbook to him. Never one to officially retire, Mark continued to fill in for priests at various parishes in the diocese and would say Sunday Mass in both English and fluent Spanish through 2024. All his life, Mark watched over his loved ones. When he was 11, he rescued his drowning kid brother Chris, 2, from a pond on their grandfather's farm. He saved the toddler's life with artificial respiration skills he had learned as a Boy Scout just two months before the incident. A 1961 graduate of Holyoke Catholic High School, Mark was an excellent athlete. He was captain and MVP of the 1961 Gaels baseball team. He played Legion baseball for Post 351, semi-pro ball for the Holyoke Allies, and was an all-star third baseman playing fast pitch softball under the lights at Mackenzie Field for Elm Café & Bar. An avid golfer with a low handicap, he was a member of the Monday golf league at St. Anne Country Club in Agawam. He won the Sisters of St. Joseph Golf Classic, a charity event at the Springfield Country Club hosted by the SSJs and his lifetime friend Sr. Betsy Sullivan, S.S.J. In May, just prior to his cancer diagnosis, he shot a hole in one at St. Anne's. Mark loved following the travails of Boston sports teams, reading his daily Boston Globe and spy novels, taking annual trips to the Cape, dining out at Cal's and the Fort Restaurant, and drinking Dewar's Scotch. But there is nothing he loved more than his family. For the last 50 years, he either baptized, married, or buried every member of the Mengel family through three generations. Charles Dickens once wrote, "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." Throughout his life Mark Mengel lightened the burdens of so many. And the many are forever grateful. Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Rose and Emile ("Boogy") Mengel. He is survived by brothers Paul Mengel (Alison) and Chris Mengel (Ellen), sister Rosalie Ferriter Moore (Tom), Sr. Betsy Sullivan, plus seven nieces and nephews, six step nieces and nephews, and their extended families. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, January 8th at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Name Church, Springfield, with calling hours beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the church before Mass. Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home in Holyoke is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mark's memory are requested to be made to the Missionary Society of St. Columban U.S. (www.columban.org/donate) or to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield (www.ssjspringfield.org/makeagift/).