Father Healey Will Always Have a Special Place in My Heart

Richard Maronski and Sharon Rodriguez were planning their wedding and hoping to have their ceremony at St. Michael’s Chapel on the campus of the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home.

A former School Committee member and one of Chelsea High’s greatest quarterbacks, Richard Maronski picks up the story from there.

“We came to Father Healey and asked if we could get married in the chapel,” recalled Maronski. “And he said, ‘we don’t do weddings here’.

“So, we went to another priest in Malden, and we were supposed to get married on June 6, 2020. This priest had open heart surgery and left to go to Florida. In March or April, we tried to get in contact with the priest. And we couldn’t get in contact with him.”

Richie returned to visit Father Healy for some guidance in the matter.

“I came to Father Healey, and I told him the situation and what was going on, and Father Healey said he’ll marry us right in the chapel. And that was during the middle of the pandemic and the everything was basically closed.

“I asked Father Healey, ‘What happens if the chapel’s not open?’ “And he said, ‘I’ll marry you right on the front stairs but under one condition – we can’t tell anyone because nobody’s ever been married here’.”

On Nov. 5, 2021, Richard and Sharon Maronski were married at a ceremony officiated by the Rev. Patrick Healey. Richard noted that Father Healy also came to the couple’s wedding reception and gave the blessing.

 “Father Healy will always have a special place in my heart,” said Richard Maronski outside St. Michael’s Chapel Monday following the funeral Mass for the Rev. Patrick Healy.

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