From The Desk of Father Bourke...

Father Charles E. Bourke, son of the late Charles and Anna Bourke, was born October 25, 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Catholic Memorial High School, West Roxbury, Ma. in 1962. At St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts. he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy in 1966 and a Master of Divinity Degree in 1969. He was a deacon at St. Mary’s, Lynn, Massachusetts, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston on May 23, 1970. He served four years as associate pastor of St. Catherine’s Parish, Somerville, Massachusetts.

In 1968, while a seminarian, Father Bourke completed Chaplains School in Newport, Rhode Island, and was affiliated with several reserve units until reporting to active duty at Navy Hospital, San Diego in June 1974. While assigned to the hospital, he was awarded a Master of Science Degree in Marriage, Child and Family Counseling from LaVerne University. In 1976, he was assigned as Battalion Chaplain with First Battalion, Ninth Marines, Third Marine Division, Okinawa.

Upon completion of his three-year tour, Father Bourke returned to Boston as Dean of Students at St. John’s Seminary and remained active in the Naval Reserve as Training Officer, Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of a chaplain’s unit. From 1981 to 1982, he was associate pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

In 1982, he returned to active duty as a squadron chaplain with Commander Destroyer Squadron Six, homeported in Charleston, South Carolina. Subsequent tours followed at Naval Air Station, Sigonella, Sicily; Naval Chaplains School, Newport, Rhode Island as Basic Course Officer; Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego as Assistant Force Chaplain; Director, Distribution and Placement Division, Chief of Chaplains Office, Washington, D.C.; Director Naval Chaplains School, Newport, Rhode Island. Father Bourke retired from the Navy with the rank of Captain on October 1, 1998. In February, 1999 he was appointed pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Winthrop.

Father Bourke’s military awards include two Legion of Merit Medals, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star, Navy Unit Commendation; Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Naval Reserve Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal; Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Ribbon.