Hello to all,

It has been one week since the funeral mass of Fr. Tom Burke. It was an outstanding tribute to a dedicated pastor and human being. Thank you all for your support, prayers, and encouragement during this difficult time in the parish.

In the absence of a pastor, the bishop has asked me to assume the duties of parish administrator until a full-time Redemptorist pastor is appointed. That will not happen until the pandemic has lessened. Bishop Noonan said I was “pinch-hitting,” but mixed up his baseball analogy by asking that you not send me any “fly balls.” I think he meant “curve balls,” but he can be forgiven as they do not play baseball in Ireland.

Fortunately, there is a wonderful team to work with here at Sacred Heart/St. Gerard. Our new deacon, Stephen Gross, and his wife, Roxanne, have been a wonderful addition to our parish leadership community. Deacon Lou Bartos continues to inspire with his homilies and dedication to the people of the parish and school. Office Manager, Ella Copeland, keeps everything running smoothly and, of course, Fr. Aldrin Nunes and Fr. Jim McCabe, continue to offer their full support.

According to the guidelines of the diocese, we will continue to limit our gatherings in the church and social hall. St. Gerard Mission will continue to be closed for mass. First Holy Communion will be postponed until the restrictions have been lifted. (If any parents would like their child to receive this year, they could contact Ella Copeland. They can choose any parish mass during the week or on the weekend.) Weekend masses at Sacred Heart are still limited to 25% capacity (about 150 people).

As you might know, I have enjoyed offering parish missions to parishes in Florida and throughout the U.S. and Canada. My last one was in Melbourne in early March. All have been canceled since then except for four this year (Our Lady of Charity in Buffalo, NY; St. Gregory in Northeast, PA; Holy Spirit in Mims; Sacred Heart and Christ the King in Manville, NJ). I will be traveling to Buffalo soon. The parish will be in the capable hands of the parish team – which includes you. Thank you for sharing your gifts and talents, your time and treasure with the parish and school. We have had a set-back with the loss of Fr. Tom, but we can continue the work that he started. Together, we can fulfill God’s plan.

Sincerely,

Fr. Kevin MacDonald, C.Ss.R.

REV. THOMAS A. BURKE, C.Ss.R. January 2, 1956 – August 8, 2020

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Mass of Christian Burial for Rev. Thomas A. Burke, C.Ss.R. 64, New Smyrna Beach, who died Saturday, August 8, 2020, will be at 1 PM Monday, August 17, 2020 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, New Smyrna Beach. Burial will follow in Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery, Edgewater. Visiting hours will begin on Sunday, August 16, at 12:30 PM at Sacred Heart Church, New Smyrna Beach, with a Prayer Vigil for the Deceased at 7:00 PM Sunday.

Fr. Burke was born in New York City, NY to Irish immigrants, William and Mary Murphy Burke. He entered St. Mary’s Seminary, North East, PA in 1967 and took his vows of Profession as a Redemptorist on July 31, 1976 at St. Alphonsus College, Suffield, CT. He was ordained a Redemptorist Priest on May 23, 1981 at Mt. St. Alphonsus, Esopus, NY. For his first eleven years, Fr. Burke served the Province of Baltimore at numerous parishes as Associate Pastor. He then served in the Vice-Province of Richmond as Associate Pastor at several Georgia parishes. He was also Pastor of the Catholic Community of Sumter, SC before coming to Sacred Heart in 2015, where he was the Pastor until his death. He was a Consulter for the Vice-Province of Richmond and elected as the Vicar of the Vice-Province of Richmond. Fr. Burke is survived by his mother, Mary; two brothers, William and John Burke and three sisters, Rosemarie O’Connor, Kelly Schwartz and Kathleen Burke and his Redemptorist Brothers. Dudley Funeral Home, New Smyrna Beach, is in charge of arrangements.

As we prepare to say our final goodbyes to our beloved pastor, Fr. Tom, I would
like to inform you of the schedule and procedures.
At 12:30pm Fr. Tom’s body will be brought into the church and viewing will be
held from 12:30pm until 7pm. This is an opportunity for everyone to come and
spend some private time to say your individual goodbye.
Sunday 7pm. There will be a wake service lead by his Redemptorist brothers. It
will be open to everyone, but we must remember to be mindful of our
guidelines of mask wearing, social distancing, and our maximum capacity
allowance.
Monday, August 17th at 1PM is Fr. Toms’ funeral Mass presided by Bishop
Noonan. Again, our guidelines of mask wearing, social distancing and maximum
capacity allowance, will be in effect. The doors will open at 12PM. Any overflow
will be invited to the social hall where the funeral Mass will be live streamed.
We hope that with these many opportunities to come and pay your respects to
Fr. Tom, we will be able to accommodate everyone. We ask for your
understanding and wisdom in choosing the best celebration for you to attend.
For anyone wishing to do so, you can view Fr. Toms’ Funeral Mass on the church
website.
Burial will be private.
Thank you for your attention