Rev. Patrick Maher

Reverend Patrick Maher, of St Columba Catholic Church, Dothan, entered eternal life peacefully on Friday afternoon November 24th, 2017 surrounded by relatives and friends.

Born in Ireland on November 2nd, he was the eleventh child of 12, 8 girls and 4 boys. Following ordination as a Catholic priest in June of 1953 at St Patrick’s Carlow College, Father Maher came to the then Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham. His first assignment was to St Jude’s, Montgomery as assistant pastor. In 1958, he was assigned to St Columba, Dothan. Other assignments included, St John, Ozark; St John, Enterprise; St Thomas, Chickasaw; St Joseph, Prattville; St Bede’s, Montgomery; Our Lady of Lourdes, Mobile; St Thomas-by-sea, Orange Beach; St Rose of Lima, Mon Luis Island. At age 83, he returned to St Columba as a priest in residence in 2010 and there he learned Spanish in order to celebrate Mass for the Spanish community. He was much loved and appreciated by the people whom he served throughout the Archdiocese. He is remembered especially for his constant reminder of God’s unconditional love and his famous saying, ‘God is madly in love with you!’

Truly, he was regarded as a man of God and of the people for the 64 years of his priestly ministry.

Along the journey of life, he lived what he preached, faithful to the message of the gospel. May he now enjoy the fullness of life in God’s eternal home.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Rodi at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 2, 2017 at St. Columba Catholic Church. A Rosary will be prayed at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 1, 2017 in the St. Columba Catholic Church Chapel and the visitation will continue until 8:00 p.m. and will close with the Office of the Dead.