On the morning of April 4, 2015, Fr. John Lombardi, M.S.F., a member of the Missionaries of the Holy Family, died. He was born on March 16, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York to John Paul Lombardi and Sadie Federico. He also had a brother, Carl. He was a belated vocation due to his concern of caring for ill parents. Inquiring about his vocation, he was accepted as a candidate into the formation program of the Missionaries of the Holy Family in San Antonio, Texas. From 1993-95 he was at the MSF Formation House in San Antonio, Texas. He was later admitted to the novitiate on August 14, 1995-96. He made his First Profession of Vows on August 15, 1996. He attended the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. His ordination as a deacon was on October 22, 1999 at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Seguin, Texas where he ministered until his ordination to the priesthood on June 10, 2000. He was later assigned to St. Wenceslaus Church in St. Louis, Missouri. He loved to write and wrote articles on apologetics for both the St. Louis Review (Archdiocese of St. Louis) and Today's Catholic (Archdiocese of San Antonio) and in our Messenger magazine. Fr. John knew a lot of people from his many years of working in retail establishments. When Fr. John became ill he was a resident at the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Louis, Missouri. He was on dialysis and because of the hard winters in St. Louis, he asked to go to Padua Place in San Antonio, Texas. May his soul and the souls of all the faithfull departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. FUNERAL SERVICES Visitation will begin Wednesday at 5:00 P.M. in the Missionary Servants of St. Anthony Convent Chapel with a Rosary to be recited at 7:00 P.M. Funeral Mass will be offered Thursday at 10:00 A.M. in the Missionary Servants of St. Anthony Convent Chapel. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.