Father Angelus M. Shaughnessy
Father Angelus M. Shaughnessy, OFM Cap., died early Friday afternoon in his 89th year after more than 67 years in vows as a Capuchin friar and 62 years a priest.
He was preceded in death by his sisters Mary Elizabeth (Roth), Sister Mary Cecilia (Anna Mae) CDP, Irene (Murray), Pauline (Adams Cucinelli) and Josephine (Laman); and his brothers, Father Sigmund (John Joseph), OFM Cap., Paul and Joseph.
He is survived by sisters Regina (Sykes) and Bernadette (Higgins); and a brother Bernard.
Matthew Edmund Shaughnessy, fourth son and ninth child of John and Anna (Spang) Shaughnessy, was born Nov. 16, 1929, in Rochester, Pa., and baptized at St. Cecilia Church by the pastor, Father Hugh Rauwolf, OFM Cap., on Nov. 24. After attending St. Cecilia Grade School, he entered St. Fidelis College and Seminary in 1947 in Herman.
A talented and capable athlete in his youth, Matthew turned down an offer to play professional baseball as a left-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians to enter the Capuchin Novitiate, where he received the religious name Angelus.
On July 14, 1950, Angelus professed his vows as a Capuchin Friar, making his perpetual profession three years later on July 14, 1953. After receiving a master's degree in religious education, Father Angelus was ordained a priest by Bishop John McNamara on June 4, 1955, in the Crypt Church of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
In his early years as a priest, Father Angelus served as the director of the Secular Franciscan Order and directed retreats in the Pittsburgh area. In October of 1966, Father Angelus volunteered to work as a missionary in Papua New Guinea.
From 1966 to 1978, Father Angelus was spiritual director and teacher at the newly erected Saint Fidelis Seminary on the northern coast of the Madang Province. In 1978, he was transferred to the Mendi Diocese in the Southern Highlands Province and for the next two years did pastoral work among the people there.
During the course of his ministry in Papua New Guinea, Father Angelus with his friends and parishioners built 11 permanent churches and three bush churches. While ministering to the needs of the people of Papua New Guinea, Father was privileged to baptize 1,227 men, women and children.
In the summer of 1980, Father was reassigned to Western Pennsylvania. Under the auspices of St. Fidelis Retreat Center, he conducted many parish missions and renewals, preached and directed retreats, accepted parish help-outs, days of recollection and appointments for personal individual counseling.
From 2001 to 2007, Father Angelus was stationed at Eternal Word Television Network in Birmingham, Ala. There he served as minister general to the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word. Father Angelus was happy to be a part of the apostolate of the EWTN where he was able to preach to 128 million households throughout the world.
In 2007, Father returned to Pittsburgh where he served as the national executive director of the Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers until the time of his death. After circling the globe four times and traveling thousands of miles over barely navigable terrain, Father delighted in characterizing his present ministry as “the good life — a taste of the hundredfold here on Earth.”
Father Angelus was blessed with many devoted and helpful friends. Father Angelus's interest in the spiritual life led many to seek him out for spiritual guidance. He loved being in the company of his friends and family, who were always ready to attend to his needs. In his last days, he preferred the company of his visitors to the easement of his pain, foregoing medication so that he would be able to converse with those who came to see him.
May this faithful servant of Christ now take his rest in the eternal fullness of the hundredfold, the taste of which so delighted him in work that only Sister Death could part him from it.
SHAUGHNESSY — Viewing for Father Angelus M. Shaughnessy, OFM Cap., who died early Friday, March 2, 2018, will be from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of the Angels Parish, St. Augustine Church, 225 37th St., Pittsburgh. The vigil prayer service will be at 8 p.m.The Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Our Lady of the Angels Parish, St. Augustine Church. Burial will be at the Friars' Plot of St. Augustine Cemetery directly following the Mass.Donations in honor of Father Angelus may be made to the Capuchin Friars, 220 37th Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15201.Professional services have been entrusted to the D'Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory in Lawrenceville.For more information, visit www.dalessandroltd.com.
