A quiet man leaves

A quiet man leaves

a giant legacy behind This week, the Catholic congregation of Saint Peter’s . Mission — and the Rappahannock community in general — mourns the passing of Father Maurice du Castillon, C.I.C.M. Father Maurice was known to anyone who spent any . time in the town of Washington, Virginia, during the six ■. years he spent here as chaplain of Saint Peter’s Mission. It * was Father Maurice’s urging that convinced Bishop Welch to * establish the parish — after Father Maurice’s ostensible ; retirement from his fulltime duties as the pastor of Precious Blood Catholic Church in Culpeper. “Father,” as he was affectionately known by both his • parishioners and his many friends and neighbors in the community, was known for his seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm. Though he was in his 80s when he began his ministry in Washington, he pursued the establishment of that parish with the same vigor he had brought to his first missionary work in this area — back in the mid 1950s. At that time, few residents of this area had ever had . contact with a Catholic, much less a Catholic priest from Belgium. But that didn’t deter Father Maurice. His friendly . smile, outgoing personality and strong principles gained him ' inroads into the community, and solidified lifelong friendships with many residents, no matter their religious beliefs. As the pastor of Precious Blood, Father Maurice could have been content to minister to his congregation there. But he was not. He extended the church’s family into the - surrounding counties, helping to establish missions in Orange, Madison and Rappahannock counties. ; As the Rev. Jennings Hobson III, rector of Washington’s Trinity Episcopal Church, observed, Father Maurice is the “granddaddy” of all those parish families. Apparently , Father Maurice served as a leader and mentor for the younger priests of his Missionhurst order as well as to his congregation and his community. Father Albert Verbeke, who succeeded Father Maurice as chaplain of Saint Peter’s Mission, remembers him as a “grandfather talking to : his children,” who reminded them of the dedication and principle necessary to pursue their vocation. >' Men like Father Maurice, gentle and strong, wise and : loving, do not come along every day. The world is a richer place because of his life, and we are left poorer by his passing.