Gulf Pine Catholic

20 Gulf Pine Catholic • September 1, 2023 patients, Catholic and non-Catholic,” con- tinued Deacon Hernderson. “In fact, when he first started at Memorial, some of the priests, who had a parish relatively near Memorial, told Father John he would be a great help to them, as he could visit and administer the Sacraments to their parishioners occa- sionally. Father John immediately let everyone know he was at Memorial for all the patients, Catholics, Christians, n o n - C h r i s t i a n s , Moslems, Jews, athe- ists, everyone. With a normal patient load in the high 300s, that would take up most, if not all his time. “Our Dear God was kind to the Diocese of Biloxi allowing us to be able to receive the Sacraments through Father John, but also experiencing, firsthand, his gentle and highly effective presentation of how we, as Christians, are to live the gospel,” said Deacon Henderson. Diamondhead resident Anne Pitre recalled an encounter she had with Father John while visiting her mother at the hospital. “He was making rounds one day at Memorial and happened upon my mother’s room and prayed with her,” said Pitre. “When she was released, she said she was convinced he was an angel. A few weeks later, he ended up anointing her. I was so grateful to him for making her last weeks easier and lifting my family up as we said goodbye.” Father John’s final resting place will be in the Ekwulobia Priest’s Cemetery, Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area, Amanbra State, Nigeria. The Gulf Pine Catholic is in the process of moving and merging databases. If you receive more than one copy of the paper, your paper has stopped coming, or you are having any issues receiving your paper, please call Mrs. Robin Peeler at (228) 702-2100. We appreciate those who have called already as it helps us to delete duplicates and correct problems. We ask for your patience as we work through the process. Thank you and God Bless. Deacon Johnny Williams was one of those people touched by Father John’s min- istry. “Father John was truly a blessing to the Memorial patients, their families, but most of all, to our staff. Especially dur- ing the first year of COVID, Father was always present to our staff and prayed for them constantly,” said Deacon Williams. “One of the best gifts from the Holy Spirit was his ability to pray. You always knew that you had been prayed for when he prayed over you. He was always there to offer prayers for our patients and felt a true calling to minis- ter to the sick.” Deacon Williams also recalled Father John’s sharp sense of humor. “I remember the first time that I met him when he came on board as chaplain. We were having a pot-luck luncheon in the department, and he was there in line,” said Deacon Williams, who formerly served as Memorial Hospital’s Director of Patient Experience. “I walked up and introduced myself and told him, ‘Father, it’s so good to meet you and we are very happy to have you at Memorial. I have one question, though. Would you pronounce your name for me?’ He smiled at me and said, “Of course! It’s pronounced ‘John!’” Deacon Williams said Father John always made it a point to celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass for the staff. “He would line up several deacons to come and distribute ashes to our patients and our staff,” said Deacon Williams. “He usually started planning for this about two days before Ash Wednesday and was faithful in making sure that it happened.” Father John From page 1 Bishop Kihneman incenses Father John Ugochukwu’s casket at the conclusion of a funeral Mass on August 25 at Most Holy Trinity Church in Pass Christian. Photo Juliana Skelton Deacon Dick Henderson, who ministers to patients at Memorial on a regular basis, crossed paths with Father John hundreds of times. “What really stood out to me was the basic diffi- culty in understanding Father John. He spoke almost in a whisper, and his accent made it difficult to understand him. That said, there were probably more than 100 times people shared that he was a most saintly, beauti- ful, and compassionate priest,” said Deacon Henderson. “They would share that he spent more time at their bedside than any other priest, praying over them and with them. “One lady said that Father took the pyx containing the Blessed Sacrament and placed it on her forehead praying all the while. She could not understand all he was praying, but she genuinely sensed the presence of the Lord, and knew for certain that the devil wouldn’t dare enter her hospital room. “Father John was genuinely concerned about the