Funeral services were pending July 14 for Father Patrick O'Dwyer, pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died suddenly in the early evening July 13 at the Westlake Village parish. He was 61.

According to Deacon Vince Tomkovicz, parish business manager, Father O'Dwyer was discovered dead in his office at approximately 7 p.m. by a couple with whom he had scheduled a meeting. He had been seen less than an hour earlier by a parish maintenance worker around the parish grounds, Tomkovicz said.

"I had a couple of meetings with him myself earlier in the day," Tomkovicz added. "There was no sign of sickness or illness at all. We are, obviously, very shocked and saddened by his death."

A coroner's investigation was scheduled to determine the cause of death. Funeral arrangements were pending as of press time July 14.

Father O'Dwyer was born Oct. 21, 1947 in Rearcross, County Tipperary, Ireland, and studied at St. Patrick's Seminary, Thurles. He was ordained to the priesthood June 10, 1972 at Assumption Cathedral in Thurles, and was assigned to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, serving four years at St. Anthony Church, Oxnard, as associate pastor.

He later served at St. Timothy, West Los Angeles, for nine years before coming to St. Bruno Church, Whittier, in 1985 as associate pastor. He was named administrator in 1990 and, in May 1993, was named pastor.

On the occasion of his silver jubilee in 1997, Father O'Dwyer recalled that being in the seminary during the immediate post-Vatican II period proved fortuitous. "I think we were in a good position because we saw the changes coming and could prepare ourselves for them once we were ordained," he told The Tidings.

In July 2005, Father O'Dwyer succeeded Msgr. Peter O'Reilly as the second pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe, founded in 1992. "Father O'Dwyer was a dedicated, kind, friendly priest, and a great supporter of our Habitat for Humanity ministry," said Tomkovicz. "His life was the church. If it wasn't for his day off on Wednesday, he would be here all the time."

"I've been very happy in my work," Father O'Dwyer said in the 1997 interview with The Tidings. "I wouldn't change it for anything. I'd like to continue to do what I can, just try to be of service for all."

Father O'Dwyer is survived by a brother Thomas, in Tipperary, and several nieces and nephews.

Fr. Florencio Gerones
A memorial Mass will be celebrated July 17, 11 a.m. at St. Jude Church, Westlake Village, for Father Florencio M. Gerones, associate pastor, who was found dead in his room the morning of July 13. He was 62.

Father Gerones, who had undergone a triple bypass surgery two months ago, apparently suffered a heart attack July 12 and died instantly that evening, said Father Peter Foran, pastor.

"Father Florencio was very well liked here, a very spiritual man, somewhat on the quiet side," said Father Foran. "He had a special devotion to St. Jude as well as a devotion to the Sacred Heart. The Filipino community here is very active, and they were very pleased to have him here, as was the whole parish community."

Born May 5, 1947 in Abuvog, Leyte, Philippines, Father Gerones was ordained April 2, 1975 for the Diocese of Naval. He came to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the fall of 2007 on a sabbatical, and served close to a year as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Tujunga, then was assigned in July 2008 to St. Jude.

He is survived by his mother and a brother in the Philippines, and by an aunt and cousins in Granada Hills. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry will preside at the memorial Mass, with the funeral services and burial to be held in the Philippines.