A priest of the archdiocese widely known and admired by people, priests, and bishops, Father John F. Mulloy died at Boston's Regina Cleri Residence, where he has been living since 2022. He had just celebrated his 80th birthday on July 8, 2024.

He was born in Boston, one of the four children of the late John and Jean (Towhill) Mulloy. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a brother, Brian, while his brother James, and his sister Mary survive him.

Raised in Wakefield's Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, he attended St. Joseph School, Malden, then Greenwood School and Atwell Junior High, both in Wakefield, before entering Malden Catholic High School, Malden. There, he met the Xaverian Brothers; many of them would become lifelong friends and he was a most-appreciated alumnus of MC.

On graduation in 1962 from Malden Catholic, he entered the archdiocesan seminaries, first at Cardinal O'Connell, Jamaica Plain, then at St. Clement and St. John, both on the then-seminary campus at Brighton. Auxiliary Bishop Jeremiah F. Minihan ordained him to the priesthood at Holy Cross Cathedral on May 23, 1970. He returned to Wakefield to celebrate his First Mass at his home parish church and then began a three-year assignment as an associate at St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Andover.

In 1973, he was named an associate at St. Patrick, Roxbury, and, in 1977, was named administrator of the parish. During the years until his being named a senior priest in 2019, he served in many archdiocesan parishes in varying roles. St. Patrick, Brockton, parochial vicar and in residence (1984-1985); St. Peter, Dorchester, in residence (1985-1988); St. Michael, North Andover, parochial vicar (1988-1991); St. Michael, Hudson, pastor (1991-1996); Blessed Sacrament, Saugus, pastor (1996-2008); St. John the Evangelist, Wellesley, parochial vicar (2008-2009); St. Joseph, Malden, parochial vicar and administrator (2009-2011 and 2014-2019); St. Joseph, Woburn, administrator (2011); Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Mary of the Angels, and St. Thomas Aquinas, all in Boston, parochial vicar (2012); St. Eulalia, Winchester, administrator (2012); St. Rose of Lima, Chelsea, administrator (2012-2013); St. John the Evangelist, Chelmsford, administrator (2014); and St. Mary, Winchester (2014).

Sometimes separately and sometimes concurrently and overlapping, he also served beyond parishes in archdiocesan assignments. Secretary for pastoral services (1984-1988); interim regional vicar -- North (2009-2010); emergency response team (2012-2014); vicar forane, North Region; interim regional vicar -- Merrimack (2013-2014); and, in his spare time, he served either as an elected or appointed member of the Clergy Personnel Board (1977-1980, and 2012-2016); Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council (2009-2010, and 2014-2016); and Board of Consultors (2009-2010).

Although he had been in declining health, he was still pushing the limit. He made a genuine effort to be at the funeral of any priest, whether he knew him from a common assignment or just simply because he was a Boston priest.

One of his more challenging assignments, my words not his, was as a parochial vicar at St. Michael, North Andover. The challenge was not the people but the pastor. A string of parochial vicars preceded John, and he went there for three years. When that priest died 26 years later, John was one of the very few concelebrants at the funeral Mass. And more coincidentally, he died on the anniversary of that priest's death.

Just a couple months ago, he was celebrating Mass at Mount St. Vincent, Wellesley, for the Sisters of Charity of Halifax, whom he first came to know when he was assigned to Roxbury in the 1970s.

Whether brother priests or the many laity and women religious he knew or with whom he served, there was universal sadness on the news of his death. "A very fine priest" said one; "He was always available for us," said a former parishioner. As much as he was proud of being an alumnus of Malden Catholic, the Xaverian Brothers were even prouder to have had him as a faithful and generous alumnus.

In recent years, he attended the annual priest retreat at Bethany Center in Lutz, Fla. It was amazing to watch him, even as his health challenges grew, to move easily among and between the generations of Boston priests represented at the retreat. Merrimack Regional Bishop Robert F. Hennessey appreciated John's presence and said, "He was a great help when I moved to the Merrimack Region."

Father Joseph F. Hennessey of Regina Cleri said of the man for whom he had been parochial vicar in the Saugus Parish: "John had an amazing ability to see the Church in the archdiocese, and beyond; but never lost the ability and willingness to meet any and every parishioner, even one on one. He was a delight to serve with." Father Hennesey was privileged to bring viaticum to Father Mulloy just hours before his death at Regina Cleri.

Archbishop Richard G. Henning was the principal celebrant of Father Mulloy's funeral Mass at a nearly packed Blessed Sacrament Church, Saugus, on Feb. 4, 2025. Father Thomas F. Powers was the homilist.

Among the more than 50 concelebrants were Archbishop Emeritus Seán Cardinal O'Malley, Bishops John A. Dooher, Robert F. Hennessey, Mark O'Connell; and fellow residents at Regina Cleri: Msgrs. George F. Carlson, Francis H. Kelley, Fathers William D. Coughlin, Robert J. Doherty, Father Gerald T. Osterman, Lawrence J. Rondeau, Paul S. Sughrue, Eugene P. Sullivan; and from outside Regina Cleri, Msgr. Kevin J. O'Leary, rector of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Cross, and Fathers Robert E. Casey, Gate of Heaven and St. Brigid, both in South Boston, Brian J. McHugh, North Regional vicar and St. Theresa of Lisieux, North Reading, and Father Paul E. Kilroy, chaplain, Regis College, Weston.

Following the funeral Mass, Father Mulloy was buried with his parents in Forest Glade Cemetery, Wakefield.