FATHER JOHN ALBERT-MARIE COBURN, O.P. 1918-2001

Father John was born in New Orleans on Nov. 22, 1918 to Ruth Durel and Albert Coburn, who had been married at St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Orleans by Fr. Casimir Municha, O.P. He had one sister, Ruth, who later became Sr. Thomas Aquinas as a Houston Dominican. He grew up in Beaumont, TX and he began his preparation for ordained ministry at St. Mary's Seminary in LaPorte, TX and later at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. His Dominican formation-in St. Albert's Province, was primarily at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory in River Forest: novitiate 1941-1942, first profession on Aug. 5, 1942, and ordination to the priesthood on June 4, 1948.

He began parish ministry at Holy Rosary Parish, Minneapolis, MN-an extremely cold location for a young Dominican from the hot and humid Gulf Coast. From 1964-1969, he was pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Houston, TX. Much later, he was associate pastor at St. Ann Parish, Metairie, LA (1981-1982 and 1986-1994), Mater Dolorosa Parish, Independence, LA (1984-1986) and St. Joseph Parish, Ponchatoula, LA (1994-1995).

Perhaps Fr. John's greatest love in ministry was preaching, usually on Dominican mission bands: Minneapolis (1955-1957), New Orleans (1957-1963), Irving (1963-1964), River Forest (1976-1978) and Dallas (1978-1980). In 1979 he joined the new Province of St. Martin de Porres.

Besides his dedication to preaching, he had a great concern for the sick and the suffering. As a result, in 1968 he founded the Catholic Chaplain Corps of St. Martin de Porres, O.P. at the Texas Medical Center in Houston and Galveston-as a ministry of the Galveston-Houston Diocese. He continued as director of this Chaplain Corps until 1976.

While at St. Joseph Parish in Ponchatoula, John's health declined and he suffered a number of strokes. In 1995 he went to Wynhoven Health Care Center in Marrero, LA.  In January 2000 he moved to Our Lady of Wisdom Health Care Centerin New Orleans-a facility co-sponsored by our St. Martin de Porres Province, where he died on June 29, 2001.

Fr. Val A. Mclnnes, O.P. prior of  St. Dominic's, New Orleans, presided at Fr. John's wake service and Msgr. Charles E. Duke, formerly at St. Ann's Parish in Metairie with Fr. John, gave the eulogy. For the Mass of Christian Burial on July 3, the prior provincial, Fr. Alberto Rodriguez, O.P. , presided and Fr. Val Mclnnes delivered the sermon. Later that day, Fr. John was buried at the Dominican Friars' Cemetery in Rosaryville, LA.

Holy Rosary Church