Our brother Richard Lubomski, OFM Cap., passed to the Lord on Monday afternoon, February 8, 2021, at Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA, from complications arising from infection by the Covid-19 virus. He was 76 years of age.
Richard Joseph Lubomski was born in Pittsburgh to Joseph A. and Frances (Staresinic) Lubomski on December 21, 1944. He was baptized at St. Anthony Church and educated at the parish grade school in Millvale before attending Shaler Public High School. Richard would often tell the story of his parents’ marriage with a smile: his father was reprimanded by his pastor for wishing to marry Frances Staresnic. Her parents were Slovenian, and the pastor, who was Polish, chided Joe: “You couldn’t find a Polish girl?” Somehow, the marriage worked out – and Richard was a great credit to his “dual heritage.”
Even 
before his senior year at Shaler, young Richard felt a powerful call to religious life as a Capuchin Brother. Having the firm support of his parents and his pastor, he wrote repeatedly to the vocation director seeking application to the Capuchin Friars. His persistence was rewarded, and he entered the Capuchin Brothers Training Center in Cumberland, MD in August of 1961.After a year of initial orientation and primary training, Richard was invested with the Capuchin habit and entered the novitiate at Annapolis, MD on August 21, 1962 where he received the religious name “Aloysius” (which he readily relinquished when given the opportunity to return to his baptismal name in 1968). He vowed to observe the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience on August 22, 1962 before returning to Cumberland to complete his vocational training.
From the beginning Richard’s aptitudes and interests were oriented to practical ways of serving. He was always at his best doing work that required detail awareness and concentration, and readily learned the skills of tailoring and the requirements of bookkeeping. Many friars would testify that he was a great habit-maker, and his patience and understanding were always appreciated by friars who knew him as their treasurer. Richard served the Province in these capacities for most of his 57 years in religious vows, principally in Annapolis and Baltimore, MD, and in Washington, DC, with shorter tenures in Herman, PA, and Cleveland, OH, before returning to the Pittsburgh area in 1986.
Richard had a fine mind for organization and order, and he executed all tasks given him with determination and precision, often pushing himself to exhaustion in order to complete a task as thoroughly and efficiently as possible. His reputation as a hard and diligent worker followed him throughout his years as a friar. He became the Provincial Treasurer in 1998, and it was during his term that the Province prepared for the succession of its first lay Finance Officer; Richard saw that world of investments and the Province’s need to find a more stable financial future demanded the professional expertise a trained executive. He was a essential to us in easing that transition with his usual grace and good heart.
Our brother was a gentleman in the true sense of the word: affable, polite and courteous in his speech and actions; he was meticulous with his clothing, habits and otherwise, and always neat and well-groomed in his appearance. He was warm and sensitive by nature and easily embarrassed by crude or vulgar behavior. Even though a true introvert, he was perceptive, very thoughtful and a gifted listener. These qualities, along with many others, led the Province to call upon his talents twice, entrusting him with the responsibilities of serving as Guardian (local superior), first at St. Augustine friary for seven years, from 2003 until 2010, and then for five additional years at St. Conrad friary in Allison Park from 2011 
until 2016. These attributes also allowed him to make friends easily and to keep them close to him over time.
From start to finish, Richard was mindful of the dignity and beauty of his vocation as a Capuchin Brother. He loved his vocation and was steadfast in encouraging candidates and young friars to appreciate the value of being a religious Brother. His Franciscan heart was especially evident in his respect for others, his diligence at work and his welcoming personality. First and foremost, he was a man of God, faithful to prayer.
He was a lifelong fan of Pittsburgh’s sports teams. The Pirates, the Steelers, and even the Pitt Panthers always had his attention from spring training to the Super Bowl. He thoroughly enjoyed good pastries, Broadway plays and musicals, opera, and intimate gatherings with good friends.
Health concerns began to arise for him in autumn of 2016, when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Although he was successfully treated for the cancer, he continued to struggle with a series of illnesses and medical conditions for the remainder of his life, causing him to pull back from many of the larger and more public events and gatherings. It is ironic and sad that he was so aware of and cautious about the dangers of any Covid infection, taking every reasonable precaution against infection only to be infected with the pandemic virus in mid-January. Nevertheless, Richard remained faith-filled, cheerful and grateful to all those who helped him, praising and thanking the doctors and nurses at Shadyside who cared for him in his last days of life. While initially it appeared that his symptoms were not life-threatening, it became clearer as days went by that his lungs suffered irreparable damage. He passed into eternal life around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, February 8th, with Tom Betz, OFM Cap., his Provincial Minister, our brother John Getsy, OFM Cap., his trusted companion, and dear friends at his side accompanying him in prayer.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents; he was very close to his mom, Frances, and was a constant companion and caregiver until her death in 2003. The loss of his sister Carole (Luczak) was especially difficult for him. He is survived by his sisters Barbara Meidel and Terri Happ, his brother Robert, and over 10,000 Capuchin brothers throughout the world.
We will miss him deeply, and we thank the Lord for the 58 years in which He graced us with the presence and example of a true Capuchin brother. Rest in peace, brother - we take consolation in the fact that you have found the true source of Goodness and Peace in the Lord's light. Though our hearts are broken that you've been taken from us, you've always deserved the rest you're now enjoying. We doubt that eternal life needs a tailor or a treasurer (you never know), but you have the Best of all Guardians in the Lord Jesus.
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Video of the Prayer Vigil
of our brother Richard Lubomski, OFM Cap.,
took place on Friday, February 12th
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Video of the Funeral Mass
of our brother Richard Lubomski, OFM Cap.,
took place on Saturday, February 13th