Rev. Charles Martin, C. S. P.

Rev. Charles Martin, C.S.P., entered eternal life on Friday, January 27, 2023. He died in Boston after a short illness. He was 87.

He had been a member of the Paulist Fathers community for 64 years and a priest for almost 58 years.

He served in parishes, campus ministries and formation ministry. He also led retreats for priests and helped many priests who were working toward sobriety.

Charles Martin was born January 10, 1936, in Newport, RI, one of three children of John Joseph Martin and Marguerite Yates Martin.

He joined the Paulist Fathers novitiate on September 6, 1958, at age 22.

He made his First Promises on September 8, 1959, and his Final Promises on September 8, 1962.

During these years, he earned degrees at St. Paul's College, the Paulist seminary in Washington, D.C., which was then a degree-granting institution. He later earned a second masters degree at the University of Northern Colorado.

On May 8, 1965, he was ordained a priest by Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York.

Fr. Charlie was an assistant priest at St. Lawrence University Parish in Minneapolis, MN, from September, 1965, to August, 1967, and then served on the Paulist missions band in Detroit.

In April, 1968, Fr. Charlie moved to St. Patrick's Church in Memphis, TN. He provided pastoral care to the neighborhood in the wake of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In September, 1970, Fr. Charlie moved into campus ministry or the "Newman Apostolate."

He served at the University of California at Santa Barbara / St. Mark's University Parish from 1970 to 1973; the University of Northern Colorado / St. Peter's Church in Greeley, CO, from 1973 to 1982; and was director of the University Catholic Center at UCLA in Los Angeles from 1983 to 1985.

 In 1982 and 1983, he also had a stint at Project Renewal in Boston. 

Fr. Charlie was associate pastor of Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Community in Los Angeles from 1985 to 1990.

He then served as superior of Paulists based at the Paulist Center in Boston through 1995.

In 1996, Fr. Charlie returned to Minneapolis, MN, where he served for three years at the Newman Center and St. Lawrence University Parish.

Fr. Charlie then moved into formation ministry at St. Paul's College in Washington, D.C., serving as Associate Director of Formation from 2000 to 2002, Director of Formation from 2002 to 2004, and again as Associate Director from 2005 to 2006.

From 2006 to 2011, he was coordinator of the Paulist retirement residence in Vero Beach, FL.

He entered senior ministry in Boston in September, 2011.

Fr. Charlie was narrator of the 2017 documentary film "Isaac Hecker and the Journey of Catholic America" about the life and times of Servant of God Isaac Hecker, founder of the Paulist Fathers.

In addition to his parents, Fr. Charlie was preceded in death by his brother, John, and his sister, Ellen.

Fr. Charlie is survived by his brother Paulist Fathers; his nephews, Christopher Martin, John Martin and Daniel Keller; his niece, Laurie Ward; and other family members.

ARRANGEMENTS

The wake for Fr. Charlie will be held Friday, February 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Robert J. Lawler Funeral Home, 1803 Centre St., West Roxbury, MA 02132.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at The Paulist Center, Boston, MA on Saturday, February 4, at 11 a.m. The Mass will be celebrated by Paulist Fr. René Constanza, president of the Paulist Fathers, with Paulist Fr. Rick Walsh sharing the homily.

Burial will take place Monday, February 6, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph's Cemetery in West Roxbury, MA.

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