Catonsville, MD
April 15, 2012
Michael A. Machado, Ph.D., 93, of Catonsville, MD (formerly of La Plata, MD) passed into the arms of our Heavenly Father on Sunday, April 15, 2012, at his home in Catonsville, MD.
Born on October 21, 1919 in Jhansi, India, “Mickey” (as he was affectionately known then) had strong ties to his family’s Catholic roots in Portuguese Goa. He would enter the Catholic seminary of St. Charles College in Nagpur and was ordained a priest in September 1945. Fr. Mickey was a brilliant student and eloquent preacher, much sought after for sermons and talks. He spent several years as a missionary in Marathi-speaking areas. He later completed his Masters in Political Science, and was deputed to start a Catholic college in Nagpur by his good friend and Archbishop, Eugene D’Souza, the first Indian bishop.
In June 1958, Fr. Mickey came to Pittsburgh, on loan from the Diocese of Nagpur, to help fill the shortage of priests as well as pursue his Ph.D. at Duquesne University. At Duquesne, he defended his doctorate thesis in Philosophy and was appointed as lecturer and professor. His special field was Existential Philosophy. He wrote several books and was a follower of the Catholic philosopher Gabriel Marcel, whom he was fortunate to meet and welcome to Duquesne.
In 1967, after 22 years of priestly ministry, Michael became deathly ill with internal bleeding and a low blood count. He was hospitalized on several occasions and was unable to fulfill his priestly duties. Two years later, while studying at the Goethe Institute in Germany, he was hospitalized again. It was there in the hospital that he would meet and fall in love with his nurse and future wife Maria. He was granted laicization and married his “darling” Maria on March 15, 1969. They would eventually settle in La Vale, MD and Michael accepted a teaching position at Frostburg State University. He was hired as Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department in August, 1970 and remained in this position for over 15 years. He retired in 1993 with the honorary title of Emeritus. Over the course of these years, he served on various committees and helped to constitute Philosophy as a Major in the academic program.
His most cherished loves were God, family and church. He was a man of prayer, It was the source of that vitality and concern for others which defined his character. His wife, Maria, was his “darling.” His children were for him the greatest blessings he had ever received from God. He was further blessed with grandchildren and would rejoice in conversations with them. The book he composed and had published, a commentary on the book of Proverbs, was written in response to questions his children asked of him. The commentary was aimed at passing on to them the wealth of wisdom in Proverbs. Up until his death, Michael was finishing his last book entitled “Way into the Heart of God,” which reveals much about where his heart was. He often joked that once it was complete, the Lord would call him home. He was able to finish his manuscript a few months before his passing.
Michael was an active member of St. Patrick’s Parish in Cumberland where he taught scripture, chaired the parish council, served as Lector and Eucharistic Minister, and participated as leader of the parish renewal program. He made the Eucharist the center of his spiritual life, attending Mass frequently. Often churches of other denominations would call on Michael to preach from their pulpits or to offer lectures on the Scriptures.
Michael loved to meet people, read, play harmonica and chess, watch old movies, and kept his mind active with Sudoku puzzles.
He is survived by his darling wife of over 40 years, Maria; his 3 children - Michael of Gambrills, MD; Timothy, wife Yvonne, and children Isabelle, Marc and Nicholas of Winchester, VA; and Christine and fiance Bernie, of Amherst, NH.