HENDERSONVILLE — Deacon Rudolph “Rudy” Joseph Triana passed away Jan. 23, 2021, at his home. He was 84.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, at St. Barnabas Church in Arden.
He was born Sept. 11, 1936, in Miami, Fla., to the late Carlos M. Triana and Celia Ruiz Triana. He was married for 57 years to his “best friend” and love of his life, Mary Bornoty Triana, who passed away in May 2018. He was grateful for his wonderful life, family and church.
In 1976, Deacon Triana and his wife Mary moved from Miami to Maggie Valley to raise their three sons in a slower-paced, family-friendly environment. There Deacon Triana began a career in real estate and construction, and he served many years as a high school football referee.
Deacon Triana always wanted to serve God. He started as an altar server in the third grade and, after moving to Maggie Valley, he served at Holy Mass at St. Margaret of Scotland Church assisting Father Michael Murphy. In January 1980, when Bishop Michael J. Begley announced the formation of a permanent diaconate program, Father Murphy went to him – the humble altar server – and told him he should apply.
Three years later, on May 29, 1983, Deacon Triana was one of 19 men ordained in the first class of permanent deacons for the Diocese of Charlotte.
He began his diaconate ministry at his home parish in Maggie Valley, where he served for 13 years. Later he served at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Candler and for a short time at Immaculate Conception Parish in Hendersonville.
In 2009 he began serving at St. Barnabas Parish. Deacon Triana served his community and parish by performing baptisms, witnessing weddings, visiting the sick and elderly and working closely with the Spanish community.
His wife Mary was an important part of his life and his ministry. He once said, “There is no better life for me than to be a deacon. My wife Mary supports me in everything, even coming to three Masses on Sunday if I am serving three Masses. We are always together in ministry.”
Deacon Triana will be greatly missed at St. Barnabas and within the Church of Western North Carolina that he so greatly loved.
He is survived by his children: Dr. Rudy J. Triana Jr. (Victoria), Michael J. Triana (Shawna), and Andrew J. Triana (Alisha); grandchildren: Enrique, Antonio and Anabella; his brothers, Henry Triana (Juanita) and Gilbert Triana (Sylvia) and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Flowers and memorials may be sent to St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Road, Arden, NC 28704.
Groce Funeral Home of Asheville was in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — Father Edward J. Vilkauskas, a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, died Jan. 9, 2021, at St. Clair Hospital from complications from COVID-19. He was 74.
Father Vilkauskas was born Aug. 6, 1946, in Danville, Pa., and was baptized and nourished in the faith at Our Mother of Consolation Church in Mt. Carmel, Pa. He professed his vows as a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit on Aug. 22, 1965, at the Holy Ghost Novitiate in Ridgefield, Conn., and was ordained to the priesthood June 2, 1973, at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
After ordination, Father Vilkauskas was first appointed to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Pittsburgh as assistant pastor. In 1975, he went to Catholic University to complete a master’s degree in liturgical studies. In 1976, he was assigned to be the Director of Vocations and Liturgical Animation of the Eastern Province of the Congregation. He later was appointed as Director of Collegiate Seminarians at Duquesne University.
In 1982, he became Director of Theologians at CTU in Chicago and then pursued additional studies at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. He took a position as a lecturer in liturgy at the Mission Institute of London in 1985. He was then appointed in 1988 as Director of Evangelization for the Diocese of Charlotte as well as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe, where he served until 2000.
In 2001, he was assigned as temporary administrator of St. Mary Magdalene in Chicago. He was appointed pastor of Old St. Mary’s in Detroit in 2002. At Old St. Mary’s, he worked hard to bring the Spiritan charism to the area and established a program to feed the poor and homeless people every first Monday of the month. In 2013, after a sabbatical, he took a position as chaplain for the Sisters of Christian Charity at the Holy Family Convent in Danville, Pa., until 2018 when they closed the convent. He then retired at Libermann Hall in Bethel Park.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Vincent and Wanda Gardocki Vilkauskas. He is survived by his brother, Vince Vilkauskas (wife Carol) of Whitehall, Pa.; and two nieces and nephew: Cheryl and Chris Dorschutz and children Wyatt and Sierra of Coplay, Pa., Denise and Jeffrey Vilkauskas and son Zachery of Northampton, Pa., and Cynthia Vilkauskas of Northampton.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, funeral arrangements will be limited to close family. The viewing will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. For those not able to attend, the funeral Mass will be live-streamed on the U.S. Spiritans’ Facebook page: www.facebook.com/spiritans.
There will be another Mass at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, at Holy Ghost Prep, 2429 Bristol Pike in Bensalem, Pa., followed by burial in the community cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit designated for retirement or for the education of future Holy Spirit Fathers and Brothers, 6230 Brush Run Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102.
— Catholic News Herald
Pictured: Pastors all: Father Vilkauskas, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe from 1988 to 2000, stands with Bishop Peter Jugis, also a former pastor of the parish, and current pastor Father Benjamin Roberts, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes 2018. (Photo provided by Father Benjamin Roberts)