Father Joseph Irwin

Father Joseph Irwin, who served as pastor of two parishes in Westchester County, died Dec. 30 in the Bronx. He was 82.

Father Irwin was assigned to Most Holy Trinity, Mamaroneck, as pastor, 1989-2010 and senior priest administrator, 2010-2012. At St. Mary’s, Mount Vernon, he was parochial vicar, 1966-1977, temporary administrator, 1977, and pastor, 1977-1989.

Cardinal Dolan was scheduled to offer the Funeral Mass at St. Augustine’s Church in Larchmont Thursday, Jan. 4, at 10 a.m. Father Thomas Madden, the pastor of St. Peter and St. Mary parish in Haverstraw, will deliver the homily.

“He was a wonderful priest and did wonderful parish work. He was a servant of the Lord and the Church,” Father Madden said. “He’s still touching people’s lives.”

Father Madden recalled meeting Father Irwin 34 years ago. Father Madden, a priest for seven years at the time, was assigned to the faculty at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie and was asked by Father Irwin to be a weekend associate at St. Mary’s.

“He was a spiritual priest and went where he felt God was taking him,” Father Madden said. “He was very active in the pro-life movement and was a very generous guy.

Father Madden praised the weekend retreats at the Mount Vernon parish. “The parishioners put on the retreats, found presenters and did the cooking. They’d have them on long weekends, start on Fridays and finish on Mondays. They were powerful and were seminal experiences for people.”

Father Madden visited Father Irwin a couple of times last year at The Osborn, a senior living community in Rye.

“He had the Eucharist with me and was happy to receive a small portion of it because he had Parkinson’s. He had Parkinson’s for the past several years. He was an articulate guy and Parkinson’s took away a good bit of that,” said Father Madden, who added that Father Irwin had a great sense of humor and especially enjoyed the comedy of Rodney Dangerfield.

Father Irwin also served as parochial vicar at St. Peter’s, Rosendale, 1962-1966, and St. John the Evangelist, Clove, 1962.

Born in Mount Vernon, Father Irwin received a bachelor’s degree from Iona College before entering St. Joseph’s Seminary. Cardinal Francis Spellman ordained him in 1962.

Burial followed at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne.