Angelus News | August 26, 2022 | Vol. 7 No. 17

A good friend
Farewell to Richard Grant, an
unassuming ‘driving force’ behind
Catholic education — and so
much more — in LA
BY PABLO KAY
Richard Grant, longtime Daniel Murphy Foundation
president and renowned figure in Catholic philanthropy
in LA and nationally, died Aug. 10 after a long
illness. He was 82.
Known for his unassuming character and kindness, Grant
served the Daniel Murphy Foundation in several key leadership
capacities for 50 years until his retirement in 2020.
Under his direction as president, the foundation increasingly
turned its attention toward supporting Catholic education in
Los Angeles, with a special focus on inner-city schools.
“Through his work in leading the Dan Murphy Foundation
and other philanthropic organizations, he devoted his life to
ameliorate the suffering of the poor, sick, and vulnerable in
the most humble of manners,” said David Fuhrman, who
succeeded Grant as president of the foundation in 2020.
Following his retirement, Archbishop José H. Gomez told
Angelus that “for decades now, Richard has been the driving
force behind so much of what is good and hopeful and beautiful
in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.”
On Aug. 2, just a week before his death, Archbishop
Gomez joined local members of the Order of Malta in a
prayer service at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
organized to pay tribute to Richard and his wife, Maria.
The service included veneration of the relics of St. Bernadette,
recognizing Richard’s deep devotion to Our Lady of
Lourdes, who appeared to the saint in 1858.
In a video message delivered at the service, the archbishop
Friends of Richard Grant, including members of the Order of Malta, held a special
prayer service with St. Bernadette’s relics at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on
Aug. 2, one week before Grant’s death. The service was livestreamed so that Richard
and Maria could participate. | SCOTT VICK
Richard Grant during an interview at his home in late 2021. | VICTOR ALEMÁN
expressed his gratitude for the couple’s “kindness and love
for all these years.”
“I am grateful every day, more than you can know, for your
wisdom and guidance. And most of all, for your friendship,”
he added.
Although the Grants were unable to attend the service, it
was livestreamed so they could participate from home. Maria
said the relic’s visit and the prayer service were touching
to Richard, who had made 15 pilgrimages to the shrine of
Our Lady of Lourdes in France during his lifetime.
The Daniel Murphy Foundation was founded in 1957 by
Daniel and Bernadine Donohue. Grant’s father was the
foundation’s first treasurer, and when Bernardine died in
1968, Grant came on as a board member. He eventually
succeeded his father as treasurer before becoming executive
director and, in 2008, president.
Fuhrman noted Grant was the last of the foundation’s employees
and trustees with direct family ties to Daniel Murphy
and Bernardine.
In his final interview with Angelus, Grant described his
father as “my best teacher.”
“He looked at things, saw what there was to do and then
would say, ‘Let’s do it.’ He was a wonderful example to pitch
in and do things. That was always part of my life growing
up.”
Furhman told Angelus that Grant will be remembered,
among other things, for shaping the foundation’s mission
and building “a sustainable enterprise devoted to a vibrant
Catholic community in the Archdiocese of LA.”
“People who observe Richard and who have experienced
his powerful combination of grace and modesty often proclaim
that he is a ‘modern day saint,’ ” he said.
Pablo Kay is the editor-in-chief of Angelus.
August 26, 2022 • ANGELUS • 19