"May God say to you, Father Michael, welcome, good and faithful servant, come, share your Lord's joy."
In loving memory of
Father Michael T. Madden
April 1, 1949 - September 4, 2020
Reverend Michael T. Madden passed away on the afternoon of Friday, September 4, 2020 at Scenic Hills at the Monastery in Ferdinand, Indiana. His mother and youngest sister, Kathy, were present at the time of his passing.
Born on April 1, 1949 at Daviess County Hospital in Washington, Indiana, he was the first of six children of Bernard J. and Helena (Strange) Madden. He spent a lifetime, it seems, contributing to the notion that first-borns are overachievers.
Father Mike was one of those extraordinary individuals who recognized his calling at an early age. At the celebration of the 40th anniversary of his ordination, he recalled his First Communion. If the first one was this good, he reasoned, the second and all subsequent celebrations of the Eucharist would be even better. And so it was.
His formal education in preparation for his life’s work was extensive. He attended St. Simon Elementary School in Washington, graduating with the class in 1963. He began his formal training for the priesthood at Magister Noster Latin School in Evansville, receiving his diploma in 1967. He went on to attend St. Meinrad Seminary, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971.
Upon nomination of Bishop Shea, he was accepted as a student in the Canisianum in Innsbruck, Austria to pursue his theological studies. He entered the Canisianum in the fall of 1971, and as was his wont, excelled. He returned to the states only once during his four year tenure. He received his theology degree in July, 1975.
Late in 1974, he had petitioned Bishop Shea to be accepted as a candidate for the priesthood in the Diocese of Evansville. His petition was granted and he was ordained on August 22, 1975 at a ceremony officiated by Bishop Francis Shea at St. Simon’s Catholic Church in Washington.
His first diocesan assignment was associate pastor at St. Wendel in Evansville. Simultaneously, he served as assistant to the Officialis, Diocesan Tribunal. His first pastoral assignment was at St. James in Haubstadt, a position he held for thirteen years. Other stops along the way included Holy Spirit in Evansville, St. Matthew in Mt. Vernon, Holy Name in Bloomfield, St. Peter in Linton and finally St. Anthony in St. Anthony, Indiana.
His duties were not limited to traditional parish work. Early in his career he served as a part time teacher at Reitz Memorial High School. Later he was appointed Dean of the Princeton Deanery. He served at least three stints as a member of the Diocesan College of Consultors.
One of his notable achievements was spearheading the construction of a sorely needed addition to St. James Elementary School. Through his persistence (yes, some might even say brow-beating) he succeeded in securing the necessary funding. When informed at the dedication by members of the Parish Council that the addition was to be named after him, he objected, insisting that buildings and other structures are typically named after dead people. The council was unmoved, apparently reasoning that we’ll all be dead people eventually. Today, Madden Hall stands in Haubstadt as a testament to his persistence.
His mind was complex, but his philosophy was simple. All things are done in the service of God.
Father Mike leaves behind his mother, Helena Madden of Washington; two brothers Dennis (Janice) Madden of Bloomington and James Madden of Valparaiso; two sisters Kathleen (Mike) Burns of Columbus and Rebecca (Roy) Anderson of Huntley, IL; six nieces; one nephew; three grandnieces and one grandnephew.
He is preceded in death by his father, Bernard J. Madden and one brother J. Christopher Madden.
His life’s work complete, he is at rest in the presence of God. His family and friends mourn his passing.
The family will receive visitors at Ed Lee Mortuary North Chapel in Washington on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, September 10, 2020 at 11:00 am at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Joseph M. Sigel, Bishop of Evansville, will be the celebrant. His remains will be interred at St. John Cemetery, Priest’s Circle, in Washington.
Condolences can be sent to the family online at www.edleemortuary.com . All arrangements were entrusted to Ed Lee Mortuary.
Tributes
"When Fr Madden was at St Matthews are son became very ill. Fr Madden came to the hospital and prayed for him, without being asked. Again, when he was taken to surgery Fr Madden came to pray with us and for our son. We never called the parish to ask him to come, he just came. It meant a great deal to us. I am sorry for the pain his passing must be for you all. I am thankful to God for him and how much he cared."
"Our deepest sympathy to the family of Father Michael Madden. He was our Priest at Sacred Heart Church in Schnellville. We appreciate everything he did for our parish while he was there. May he Rest in Peace"
"My deepest sympathy to Helena and all the Madden family."
"I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to the Madden family. I remember Michael (Father Madden) from our St. Simons grade school days; it was so nice that he attended our 50th high school reunion and he had that same sweet, kind smile. Vicki Sullivan Culver"
"My sincere condolences to the Madden family. I was a grade school classmate of Mikes at St. Simon in the 50s and 60s. I was glad to spend a few minutes talking with him at the 50th high school reunion for the WC class of 67 in 2017. He actually led us in grace that evening before our meal. I distinctly remember two things about him in our elementary years. One, he was an excellent student. If he made less than 95% on an exam, that was a surprise. Second, he loved baseball and had to stand his ground on that sport more than once. He was a die-hard Yankees fan in a town that was full of Cardinals, Reds, and Cubs fans. Rest in peace, Father Mike, you did a great job in the game of life. You made this world a better place because of your dedication and commitment to others. Tony Wilson Falls Church, VA."
"Im sadden by the news & have many fond memories of Father Madden. He visited our house often in Evansville when I was younger. We traveled together to the Grand Canyon hiking to the bottom. He officiated my marriage to Janet. His birthday is very unique and easy to remember--April 1st.
My condolences to his family.
Gary Mason"
"My deepest sympathy to the Madden family. Father Mike was at the last WC class of 67 reunion. It was so nice to see him.
I have fond memories of our grade school days together. He will be greatly missed.
Janie Wood Richardt"