Monsignor Liam Minogue dies at Hillsborough home.
By: John Patten
The frigid wind blowing on Tuesday symbolized the loss of warmth provided by Mary, Mother of God Church Pastor Monsignor Liam Minogue, who died earlier that day.
Known for his outgoing and friendly nature, Monsignor Minogue, 64, will be remembered by his parish for shepherding it through a period of rapid growth and change, before succumbing to complications from cancer diagnosed in 2003.
"He really was the man behind the whole scene," Bishop Paul Gregory Bootkoski of the Diocese of Metuchen said. "He really enjoyed his people."
Bishop Bootkoski said that as recently as six weeks ago, Monsignor Minogue, despite being critically ill, led him through the church grounds, talking about how the church could be rearranged and enlarged to accommodate more of the parish’s 3,400 members.
Monsignor Minogue was born in Mountshannon, County Clare, Ireland, on Feb. 7, 1943, and entered St. Patrick’s Seminary in Carlow, Ireland, after studying at Mungret College in Limerick. He was ordained on June 8, 1968, and was assigned to St. Rose of Lima Parish in Freehold. In subsequent assignments, he served parishes in Ewing Township, Trenton and New Brunswick before his assignment to Hillsborough in March 1993.
Once at Mary, Mother of God, Monsignor Minogue worked to organize a preschool and a St. Vincent DePaul Society, which works to serve the poor.
Monsignor Minogue led the efforts to expand the church, adding a gymnasium and parish center.But his accomplishments seem to pale in the minds of his many friends when compared to his warmth.
"He was a friend to everybody," parishioner Mike Avolio said. "He was priest’s priest."
Mr. Avolio recounted a trip two and a half years ago to Ireland when he and his wife visited Monsignor Minogue, who was visiting a sister living in Shannon.
"He said to call him when we were there, and we did," Mr. Avolio said. "That was the best afternoon we could have had."
Mr. Avolio said Monsignor Minogue insisted on driving them to his sister’s farm and then led them on a hike to a secluded spot where he kept a trailer near the banks of the Shannon River.
"So we sat and ate cherry pie with whipped cream it was just magical," Mr. Avolio said.
The journey had also included a hair-raising drive through several Irish villages, accompanied by a running travelogue on the various pubs and farms they passed.
The story highlighted another of Monsignor Minogue’s traits: humor.
"He always had a joke for you," Bishop Bootkoski said. "Not that they were always that good or that you enjoyed it, but you’d laugh because he’d get such a kick out of telling it."
When interviewed for a story in 2004 about his elevation to monsignor, Monsignor Minogue quipped that when he received the phone call with the news, he asked the caller if he was sure he’d called the right number.
Monsignor Minogue was the founding Cchaplain for the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Middlesex County, who honored him as Irishman of the year in 1991. In October of that year, Monsignor Minogue was chosen by the Diocese of Metuchen as the Flame of Charity "Community Servant of the Year." He became a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York in September of 2003.
He was diagnosed with cancer in one of his kidneys in 2003, and had to have both kidneys and his pancreas removed. Although his health continued to decline, Monsignor Minogue remained committed and active in his church.
"Even if he was extremely weak, and as much as possible, he was there," Bishop Bootkoski said.
Bishop Bootkoski said about five weeks ago Monsignor Minogue attended each of the church’s Mass celebrations to tell the parishioners that he knew he didn’t have long, that he was making his last homily to the parish.
"He thanked everyone for their support and love, he thanked St. Peter’s Hospital’s nurses and staff for all they had done," the bishop said. "Then he gave a little ‘sales pitch’ encouraging young men to consider the priesthood."
Monsignor Minogue added that the priesthood had given him a rewarding career and led him to thousands of wonderful people.
The congregations were visibly moved by his touching farewells.
Monsignor Minogue is predeceased by his parents, David and Mary Minogue, his sister Brigid, and his brothers Sean, Michael and Patrick. He is survived by his sister, Maura Brogan; brothers Timothy (Brod) and David; many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews; and many beloved friends and parishioners.
Visiting hours will be from 2 p.m. 7:30 p.m. today (Thursday) in Mary, Mother of God Church, 157 So. Triangle Road, Hillsborough followed by a Mass of Commemoration. The funeral Mass will be in Mary, Mother of God Church at 11 a.m. Friday. Burial will be at St. Caimin’s Church, Mountshannon, County Clare, Ireland.
Arrangements are under the direction of Hillsborough Funeral Home 796 Rt. 206, Hillsborough, NJ 08844. Overflow parking and shuttle transportation to church will be available on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the Triangle Road Football Complex parking lot. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mary, Mother of God Building Fund, 157 South Triangle Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844. Notes of condolences may be sent to: [email protected].

