Jacob: The lasting legacy of Marion's Father Fred Furey
“It was the kind of bar where they frisk you to see if you have a gun, and if you don’t have a gun, they give you one,” quipped Father Fred Furey of St. Mary Parish in Marion, as quoted to Columbus Dispatch reporter Mike Harden in an article he penned following Father Fred’s death in 1999.
If you lived in Marion between 1963 and 1996 and didn’t live under a rock, you knew Father Fred. He was an institution. And, he worked at an institution — Marion Correctional Institution. In addition to serving as a parish priest, Father Fred was the MCI chaplain for 33 years; hence, his quip about the bar. You see, Father Fred was much admired and respected among the prisoner population at MCI during his tenure. Harden’s story related that during a prison riot, “Father Fred was one of the few individuals the inmates would allow inside the facility … If an inmate lost a family member while serving time at Marion, it was Furey who went to bat so the guy could attend the funeral … Furey’s job was not to judge, but to carry the Word.”
During his tenure as chaplain, Father Fred became well-acquainted with several “mob bosses” as well as Don King, the famous (and infamous) boxing promoter of such well-known fighters as Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier. King was convicted of manslaughter and spent time at MCI.
“Being a priest in prison is a gamble,” Father Fred told Harden. “Sometimes you wonder if you can do it seven days a week. God gives you the grace.”
As a parish priest at St. Mary, Father Fred was everyone’s favorite. I’m blessed to say Father Fred officiated my wedding. He always had a smile on his face. His encouraging words, even under difficult circumstances, seemed melodic with his thick Boston accent.
Father Fred played a central role in working with other denominations in Marion, making him a favorite throughout Marion. He was grand marshal of the Popcorn Festival Parade — twice.
His love for Catholic education was in his DNA, having received his bachelor’s degree in theology from Catholic University and a master’s degree from Boston College. To help children receive a Catholic education in Marion, Father Fred began a tuition assistance program for those in need to attend Marion St. Mary Grade School and Marion Catholic High School. In 1996, near his retirement, several members of the parish — including Jan Brown, Tim Brown, Jackie Concepcion, Jim Conway, Bob Fragale, Tom Frericks, Mike Rogerson, Catherine Collier and Carl Hughes — created “The Fr. Fred Furey Scholarship Fund for Marion’s Catholic Schools” to continue the tuition assistance program. Countless students have benefitted from their benevolence for many decades.
In 2008, the fund was moved to another institution: Marion Community Foundation. The fund is now known as the “Father Fred Furey Fund” for the benefit of Marion St. Mary School. As a permanent endowment fund at Marion Community Foundation, the significant assets produce a generous annual grant to the school to help with tuition assistance and other needs at Father Fred’s longtime parish.
“For You. For Marion. Forever.” is the refrain at Marion Community Foundation, whose mission is to continually improve the Marion area community through philanthropy, leadership, and civic engagement. The Foundation works to achieve its vision of a generous, educated, healthy, collaborative, and vibrant community. Through the generosity of our donors and the spirit of people like Father Fred Furey, we get closer to that vision every day.
Dean Jacob is president & CEO of Marion Community Foundation, which celebrates its 25th year in 2023. For more information about grants and scholarships, or to donate to, or create, an endowment fund, visit marioncommunityfoundation.org.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Father Fred Furey's legacy lives on at the Marion Community Foundation
