Ex-pastor of Palatine parish remembered as well-loved, kind man'

The Rev. Msgr. John Peter McNamara, pastor emeritus at St. Theresa Parish in Palatine, died Tuesday at Holy Family Villa in Palos Park, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced Wednesday.

McNamara, served as pastor at St. Theresa from 1992 to 2001, when he retired. He was 85 years old.

St. Theresa Pastor the Rev. Timothy Fairman said McNamara was welcoming to him when he started at the church in 2013.

"He was a well-loved, kind man," Fairman said. "People at St. Theresa have always spoken very fondly of him."

Born in Chicago on Dec. 14, 1930, to Irish parents, McNamara was ordained into the priesthood on May 1, 1956. He served as assistant pastor of Holy Name Cathedral Parish for seven years, then served at five other parishes before moving to St. Theresa.

"I always found Msgr. McNamara to be truthful and honest - sometimes boldly honest," the Rev. Robert Tonelli, who became a friend at St. Theresa, said in an archdiocese news release. "After three terms as a pastor in the archdiocese, he had the experience of being a good pastoral person and he came to really understand the human condition. He was not judgmental at all; in fact, he was very open, understanding and gentle toward the people he served."

Tonelli will deliver the homily at the funeral Mass for McNamara on Saturday.

"I found him to be very much a priest's priest; he loved going to social gatherings with priests, made sure to visit them when they were sick and attended many of their funerals," he said. "He truly cared about the brotherhood of priests."

The Rev. Michael Walsh, a retired archdiocesan priest and classmate, recalled how "he was always known as a leader in scholastics" during their 72-year friendship.

The Rev. Msgr. Richard T. Saudis, who knew McNamara from their seminary days, recalled his "fine Irish disposition."

"Msgr. McNamara was a devoted priest for over 60 years and he had a great reputation throughout the diocese," he said.

McNamara will lie in state from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday, at St. Barnabas Parish, 10134 S. Longwood Drive in Chicago. Mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Saturday at the parish. He is survived by a sister, Nancy Grant, a brother-in-law, Tom Moran, and nieces and nephews.