“God has called me here. I felt it the moment I arrived. This is home.”
There’s a New York Mets cap in Rev. John McLaughlin’s office at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. There’s also a Notre Dame cap.
Both are naturals for a priest, whose parents were Irish immigrants to Brooklyn. Rev. McLoughlin is the new priest for the St. Mary’s parish. His installation is at 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 20. Bishop Daniel Thomas, will preside.
“I’m excited to be here,” he said in a chat last week with the Icon. Rev. McLaughlin, a Redemptorist, was in Ephrata, Penn., for the past 11 years, before coming to Bluffton and Lima. He served the mission field in Dominica, West Indies, for 12 years. Prior to that he served a parish in Baltimore.
Serving the St. Mary’s parish, where he is here five days a week, he is also assistant pastor at St. Gerard, Lima.
His first mass at St. Mary’s was the weekend of Aug. 10-11.
When asked how he was chosen to the Bluffton parish, Rev. McLaughlin laughed, saying, “You mean, how did they send a little old Irish guy here?”
“This (St. Mary’s) is an excellent parish with great lay leadership,” he said, added, “God has called me here. I felt it the moment I arrived. This is home.”
Bluffton’s new priest says he wants to become involved in the larger community. For example, in a previous position he was chaplain with first responders.
Looking beyond the church, he said that we are all children of God and that human nature goes beyond all religions.
Rev. McLoughlin steps into a parish previously served by Sister Carol Inkrott, senior pastoral leader, for the past 17 years.
Stories Posted This Week
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
- Senior Center ready for annual garage sale, Feb. 27-Mar. 3
- Fredrick “Fred” W. Evans served in the U.S. Army
- Ashes to Go on March 5
- Ticket reminder for BHS boys basketball semi-final on Feb. 26
- ODNR urges caution during spring wildfire season
- Registration opens for Ropp Triplett Business Plan Competition and classes
- Phillips named as new head of LACRPC and WORPO
- Blanchard Valley Hospital makes World’s Best Hospitals list
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
- Bluffton mayor asks residents to turn in KKK flyers, denounces hate message
- Public Hearing on proposed vacation of a portion of Vine St.
- Annette "Sue" Sprunger helped establish Bluffton Community Daycare
- Community Foundation awards $770K in grants
- Letter: S.H.A.N.N.O.N. Service Club of Bluffton is disbanding
Monday, February 24, 2025
Sunday, February 23, 2025
Saturday, February 22, 2025
- Pirate Bowlus competes in state backstroke consolation finals
- James Arden Emmert was a kidney dialysis technician
- Pirate bowlers 13th at districts
- Pirate boys basketball win sectional vs. Wayne Trace
- Pirate Bowlus advances to OHSAA swim final, Downey swims in prelims
- Flu-related death of teen reported in Allen County
- Bluffton University public events for March 2025
- Weekend Doctor: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- January 2025 EMS by the numbers