Archbishop Charles J. Chaput will celebrate a funeral Mass on Thursday at St. Dominic Church for the Rev. Michael J. Heim, who died after a long and brave battle against cancer.
The Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. at St. Dominic, at 8502 Frankford Ave. in Holmesburg. Concelebrating will be Monsignor Federico A. Britto and the Revs. Edward T. Kearns, Eduardo G. Montero and Herbert J. Sperger. Kearns is the pastor at St. Dominic. Sperger will be the homilist.
A viewing will be held Thursday from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. A luncheon will follow the Mass in Marian Hall. Burial will take place at Holy Trinity/St. Ignatius Cemetery in Yardley.
On Wednesday, a viewing is scheduled for 4 to 6:45 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. Mass for parishioners and others.
Heim, 55, died last Friday at Holy Redeemer Hospital and Medical Center. At the time of his death, he was a parochial vicar at St. Dominic.
He was predeceased by his parents, William and Sophie (nee Rydzewski), and survived by his brother John and sister Patricia.
Heim attended St. Joseph the Worker Parochial School in Fallsington, Bucks County and Bishop Egan High School in Fairless Hills before entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.
Heim was ordained on May 15, 1982 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul by John Cardinal Krol. He served as parochial vicar at St. Hugh of Cluny, Incarnation of Our Lord, Visitation BVM, St. Stephen and St. Joan of Arc before his time at St. Dominic.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory can be made to St. Dominic Parish School, 8504 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19136 or Holy Redeemer Hospice, 12265 Townsend Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154. ••