Rev. Mark A. Mahoney

Weston - Rev. Mark A. Mahoney, Pastor of Saint Julia's Parish, died Monday, November 10, 2025 in Regina Cleri in Boston after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 65.

Fr. Mahoney was born in Boston on April 20, 1960, the youngest of eight children of the late Bradford and Anne (Bell) Mahoney. Raised in Needham, he attended St. Joseph Grammar School and graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood. He earned his B.A. from St. John’s Seminary College in 1982 and his M.Div. from St. John’s in 1986, later receiving a J.C.L. from the Catholic University of America in 2002.

He served his deacon year at St. Athanasius Parish in Reading and was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Bernard Law at Holy Cross Cathedral on June 7, 1986. He celebrated his first Mass the next day at St. Joseph Church in Needham. His early assignments included parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Wakefield from 1986 to 1991, followed by chaplain at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, where he resided at Mary Immaculate of Lourdes Parish in Newton.

In 1992, he became parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Holliston, serving for seven years alongside Fr. William Haley, who became a lifelong mentor and friend. In 1999, he joined the staff of the Metropolitan Tribunal while residing at Holy Name Parish in West Roxbury. After pursuing canon law studies in Washington, D.C., he returned as a Tribunal staff member and was named administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln in 2003.

On July 13, 2004, then-Archbishop Seán P. O’Malley appointed him judicial vicar of the Archdiocese of Boston, with residence at St. Peter Parish in Cambridge. Fr. Mahoney later served as pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Topsfield beginning in 2007, followed by the Beverly collaborative, including St. Mary Star of the Sea, St. Margaret, and St. John the Evangelist parishes, from 2013. In 2017, he became pastor of St. Julia Parish in Weston, where he guided the community through its centennial celebration in 2019.

Fr. Mahoney was an affable, thoughtful, and considerate man with excellent academic credentials. As a skilled canonist, he could bridge the theoretical and the practical, applying Church law with wisdom and care. Serious about his work and attentive to details, he was always determined to see things through, yet he could laugh at himself and with others. You always felt he genuinely wanted to be with you, to enjoy your company and hear about your life.

He had a great sense of humor and a booming “church voice” that became a familiar, welcoming presence for his parishioners. His phenomenal homilies made weekday Masses a sacred joy, enriching the faith of his community and deepening individual understanding. He related to people’s circumstances, listened intently, and offered absolute compassion with that great big welcoming smile. A kind-hearted, bright-eyed soul, he blessed and impacted many lives, the kind of human the world doesn’t make often: humble, warm, and genuinely good.

Fr. Mark shared so many moments with so many; little jokes, long conversations, and laughter that will be remembered for years. He had a way of making everyone feel seen and cared for, and his kindness wasn’t something he put on; it was simply who he was. He lived his vocation naturally and generously, dropping everything to help others, especially his parishioners. Even during his sickness, he put his duties as pastor first, always making himself available for those who needed guidance.

Hands-on in every way, he worked hard to keep the church and its facilities in top shape, ensuring the altar was beautifully decorated with flowers for each season. He loved animals, adored his nieces and nephews, who most certainly adored him back, and was the primary caretaker for his mother since his late 20s, after his father’s passing. Though the youngest of eight, he was the first call for anyone in the family, absolutely and completely dedicated to his faith, friends, family, and parishioners.

In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by his brothers, Bradford Mahoney and Kevin Mahoney.

Fr. Mahoney leaves his sisters, Andrea Viecelli and her husband, Ed, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, Maureen Zimmerman and her husband, David, of Naples, Florida, and Patricia Smith and her husband, Terence, of Naples, Florida; his brothers, Brian Mahoney and his wife, Ellen, of Sarasota, Florida, and Michael Mahoney of Waltham; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

A Rite of Reception of the Body will be held on Friday, November 21st at 2:30 p.m. at Saint Julia's Church, 374 Boston Post Road, Weston. Fr. Mark will Lie in State from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. A Concelebrated Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, November 22nd at 10:30 a.m. Burial is private.

Those wishing to view the livestream (and recording) of the Funeral Mass please use this link: https://stjulia.org/livestream-archive-masses/