Rev. Walter J. Waldron, retired pastor of Saint Patrick’s Church, Roxbury, died December 25, 2021. He was 81 years old.

Born in Boston to Walter J. and Frances P. (Carroll) Waldron, he was raised in Milton and graduated from Boston College High School in 1957. He then entered Saint John’s Seminary and was chosen for the Pontifical North American College in Rome. After his ordination to the priesthood at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome in 1964, he returned to the U.S. and was assigned to St. Margaret’s Church in Beverly, Mass., where he served for two years.

He subsequently was assigned to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston’s South End, where he served until 1984, when he was assigned to Saint Patrick’s Church in Roxbury. Less than one year later, in January 1985, he was named pastor of Saint Patrick’s Church. He retired in 2017 after 32 years serving the Roxbury community.

Fr. Waldron traveled across the country to preside over weddings, baptisms and First Communions for his extended family and cousins. A voracious reader and unmatched conversationalist, Fr. Waldron devoured crossword puzzles and mastered the toughest clues on Jeopardy! His annual Christmas poems to friends and family showcased his quick wit. He loved the beach and enjoyed bringing together all his priest friends and the Roxbury community at his annual ‘Right On’ Party in Ocean Bluff.

His lifelong commitment to ministering to those in need extended far beyond the walls of his parish. Fr. Waldron was a co-founder of the Pine Street Inn, what is now the largest homeless services provider in New England. He also helped start the South End Community Health Center and established the local charity, People in Need. In addition to serving as former president of the Boston Association of Urban Priests, Fr. Waldron was active with the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), Casa Esperanza, Compass School, and many programs assisting youth on the rise, youth in trouble and families in difficulty.

Fr. Waldron was recognized for his good works, with accolades including: the Honorable John Forbes Perkins Award in 1977 for distinguished achievement in the field of youth social services, the Home Town Hero ‘Man of the Year’ Award from the city of Boston in 1985, and the Robert Leo Ruffin Award in 2007 for his work serving the Cape Verdean community in his parish. Most of all he was a priest, nurtured by the communities he served.

Preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Francis X. Waldron (student of Cardinal Cushing’s St. Coletta School in Braintree) and his grandnephew, Benedict Priesbe. Survived by his brother, John P. Waldron of Dedham, and his sisters, Marie T. Fallon (Robert) of Barrington, Ill. and Denise Parody (Tom) of Naples, Fla. Beloved uncle of Michelle Sullivan (Michael) of Glenview, Ill., Monique Hubbard (Frank) of Marshfield, Mass., Cheryl Priesbe (Matthew) of Glenview, Ill., and Robert D. Fallon, Jr. (Carlye) of Glenview, Ill. He is also survived by his loving grandnieces, Megan and Lauren Sullivan, his fond grandnephews, Ryan Sullivan, Conor Fallon and Michael Priesbe, all of Glenview, Ill., many dear cousins, and his brother priests of the Archdiocese of Boston.

Fr. Waldron will lie-in-state at Saint Patrick’s Church, 400 Dudley Street, Roxbury, Tuesday, January 4 from 4 – 8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Patrick’s Church on Wednesday, January 5 at 11am. The celebrant will be His Eminence Cardinal Seán O’Malley; concelebrant will be The Most Reverent Bishop William Murphy and many brother priests.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Fr. Waldron’s memory to St. Patrick’s Church, 10 Magazine Street, Roxbury MA 02119.

To watch Fr. Waldron’s Mass Via Livestream, please visit the link below:

https://m.facebook.com/stpatrickstpeterandholyfamily/?__nodl&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr#_=_

Photo Credit, The Boston Herald Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald