Mary Largent Byrne, mother of Bishop William D. Byrne, passed peacefully into eternal life on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. She was a remarkable 102 years old at the time of her passing.
Mary was the beloved wife of the late William Draper Byrne, M.D.; mother of Susan Byrne Rust, Thomas Ryan Byrne, Dr. Kevin Joseph Byrne, Patrick James Byrne, Sr. Deirdre Byrne POSC, Mary Frances Byrne, Dr. John Philip Byrne, and Bishop William Draper Byrne; grandmother of twenty-one and great-grandmother of twenty-four.
Funeral services will take place next Friday, November 21, at St. Luke Parish in McLean, Virginia. A wake will be held in the church at 10 a.m. that morning, followed by the Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11 a.m.
A Month’s Mind Mass will be held at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield on Friday, December 12, at 11 a.m., followed by a light reception.
Bishop Byrne has released the following statement on his mother’s passing.
“My mother was a loving and faith-filled woman who spent her life caring not just for her family but also was active in service to others. In her younger years, she would go weekly to the poorest neighborhood in Washington, D.C., to serve meals to the homeless. She had a great sense of humor and treated every person she met with dignity.
Mom was a wonderful example of living our Catholic faith with joy. My brothers and sisters were truly blessed to have her as our mother.”
+William D. Byrne
Bishop of Springfield
Mary was the beloved wife of the late William Draper Byrne, M.D.; mother of Susan Byrne Rust, Thomas Ryan Byrne, Dr. Kevin Joseph Byrne, Patrick James Byrne, Sr. Deirdre Byrne POSC, Mary Frances Byrne, Dr. John Philip Byrne, and Bishop William Draper Byrne; grandmother of twenty-one and great-grandmother of twenty-four.
Funeral services will take place next Friday, November 21, at St. Luke Parish in McLean, Virginia. A wake will be held in the church at 10 a.m. that morning, followed by the Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11 a.m.
A Month’s Mind Mass will be held at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield on Friday, December 12, at 11 a.m., followed by a light reception.
Bishop Byrne has released the following statement on his mother’s passing.
“My mother was a loving and faith-filled woman who spent her life caring not just for her family but also was active in service to others. In her younger years, she would go weekly to the poorest neighborhood in Washington, D.C., to serve meals to the homeless. She had a great sense of humor and treated every person she met with dignity.
Mom was a wonderful example of living our Catholic faith with joy. My brothers and sisters were truly blessed to have her as our mother.”
+William D. Byrne
Bishop of Springfield