CUMBERLAND — When Deacon Mark Gabriel Gadoury is ordained to the Order of the Priesthood on Saturday, June 4, his very religious and close-knit family will be witnessing the momentous occasion with deep admiration.
And even though he will be embarking on a great spiritual journey in ministering to God’s people, his loving mother, sisters and brothers-in-law expect to maintain their close family ties.
“We are a very close family and I think even with Mark becoming a priest we’ll still be close if not closer,” said Cheryll Gadoury, the matriarch of the family, during an evening gathering last week at the family home where her son Mark, 29; and now married daughters Rachel Hursthouse, 34; and Rebecca O’Malley, 37, grew up.
“All of us confide in each other once, if not twice or three times a day,” she said. “We’re just extremely close. Every conversation ends with ‘I Love You.’ We’ve been like that always. I’m very blessed to have my three children, and two wonderful sons-in-law and these wonderful grandchildren and I know I couldn’t ask for anything more. Mark has been there for each and every one of us as things happened in the family.”
When their very supportive father, Paul Gadoury, passed away in 2014 at the age of 66, Mark, despite being the youngest in the family, performed an outsized role in helping everyone through that very difficult time.
Paul always made himself available to talk about any matter his wife or children wanted to discuss or seek advice on. As a civil engineer he also taught Mark innumerable carpentry and other skills that he continues to use today.
“I always wished that I had an older brother because a lot of my friends did and they were able to ask them things and go to them for advice. He’s the older brother that I never had. He’s eight years younger than me, but even though he’s younger and he always has good advice to give,” Rebecca said.
“Our dad was the one we always went to for advice and Mark has taken over for our dad on that,” Rachel said. “Mark is the one who has been able to calm me down or help me out whenever I’ve needed that.”
The sisters are married to husbands who were very close growing up, so the bond between all the family members is that much stronger. The sisters have brought six, soon-to-be seven, grandchildren into the world for their mother.
When Robert O’Malley was getting married to Rebecca, whom he met while both were students at the University of Rhode Island, his best friend Tom Hursthouse met Rachel and the two would be the next to marry.
“It’s an amazing family to marry into, deeply rooted in the faith where I grew up the same way,” Robert said. “Mark was always capable of doing whatever he wanted. To recognize the calling and then to follow it, he just continues to impress.”
Growing up, Deacon Mark attended Our Lady of Victories School and Good Shepherd School in Woonsocket before attending Cumberland High School.
After graduating, he went to the University of Rhode Island, where he studied Computer Science and Digital Forensics, even spending a semester working at the State Police Forensic Unit, which he found to be “a very fun and interesting experience.”
After earning his Bachelor’s Degree, he continued his studies at URI, entering the MBA program. After completing one year of studies he left to enter St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, the following year.
“To recognize the calling and to prioritize that over any other potential path that was in front of him is special. I know his dad is very proud,” Tom Hursthouse said.
“Coming into the family it was very evident to me how rooted in religion the family was. Mark’s always been a compass for the entire family, and as I’ve become part of it, for me as well. Still, he’s down to earth and fun to be around.”
Deacon Mark said that as a priest, the most important part of his ministry will be celebrating Mass and offering the sacraments, bestowing God’s grace on the faithful through them.
“I also want to make the younger generation realize the joy we have in our faith and that God created us all for himself and in the end we’re all going to meet him and the goal is to get as many people to be with him in heaven,” he said.
“Our faith is not boring, it’s interesting, it’s beautiful, it’s fun, it’s joyful and I’d like to be able to share that with them too. To be a Christian is to live a life of joy and fullness in Christ.”
Join us Fri., June 3 for the Holy Hour for Priestly Vocations and for Deacon Gadoury
