The funeral Mass for Father Michael J. Kerwick, SM, a former teacher at Marist School, was celebrated Jan. 22 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church.

Father William Rowland, SM, acting provincial of the Washington, D.C., province, was celebrant. A vigil service took place Jan. 21 at OLA. Burial was in Westview Cemetery.

Father Kerwick, 81, had suffered from a heart condition for some time.

He was a math teacher at Marist from 1951 until 1960 and for one year in 1969-70. He was involved with the sodality during his years at the school.

He served as pastor of St. Louis Church, St. Paul, Minn., Holy Rosary Church, Buckannon, W.Va., and St. Vincent de Paul Church, Wheeling, W.Va. In recent years he had been semi-retired at Sun City Center near Tampa, Fla., where he carried out his ministry.

He was born in Calan, County Kilkenny, Ireland, and was ordained a Marist priest in 1948 in New York City.