Rev. John M. Lagomarsino
Deceased: 2018-02-13
Diocese: COLUMBIAN FATHERS
ICTE Spring: 2002
Bishop Emeritus William K. Weigand will preside at a memorial Mass for Columban Father John Lagomarsino on Saturday, March 3 at 11 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church, located at 1040 39th St. in Sacramento. The homilist will be Columban Father Brendan O’Sullivan. Father Lagomarsino died on Feb. 13 in Bristol, R.I. He was 78. A funeral Mass was celebrated at the Columban Fathers Retirement Center in Bristol on Feb. 16.
A native of Sacramento, Father Lagomarsino was educated at Sacred Heart School, Christian Brothers High School and Sacramento High School. He graduated from Sacramento State College in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in history.
He joined the Peace Corps volunteers to serve in the Philippines. During that time he became close to the community of Missionary Society of St. Columban (Columban missionaries) and at the end of his service in the Peace Corps he entered the Columban Seminary in Oconomowoc, Wis.
After years of preparation and study, he was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1970 at Sacred Heart Church in Sacramento, his home parish. Following ordination, he returned to the Philippines. After serving there, he became treasurer for the Columban Fathers in St. Columbans, Neb.
After his mother’s death in 1982, he received permission to stay in Sacramento with his father, who died in 1992. He became an associate to the pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Carmichael, where he enjoyed being able to reconnect with his friends from high school and college. He remained at St. John the Evangelist as parochial administrator from 1995 until his retirement in 2004. Residing near to the parish, he continued his close relationships with many friends in the parish community until the time of his death.
Before his death, he was recovering from hip surgery near the Columban Retirement Center in Bristol. “Our family is especially grateful to Columban Father Chuck Lintz and to Pam Serbst, RN, who remained devotedly at his bedside,” said Lucia Foster, Father Lagomarsino’s sister. “We also thank dedicated volunteers from Holy Family and St. John the Evangelist parishes, who have been of so much support.”
He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis Lawrence Lagomarsino and Helen Elizabeth Higgins. He is survived by his loving family of Columban Fathers; his brother, Paul Lagomarsino, M.D. (Kim Millick) of Mendocino, CA; and his sister, Lucia (George) Foster of Alamo, CA. In addition, he leaves numerous nephews, nieces, grandnieces and grandnephews.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to the Missionary Society of St. Columban, P.O. Box 10, St. Columbans, NE 67856.
