OBITUARY: Ricardo Montalbán was born in Mexico City, the son of Ricarda Merino and Jenaro Montalbán, a store manager. He had a brother, actor Carlos Montalbán, and a sister, Carmen. He was a practicing Roman Catholic and once had said that his religion was the “most important thing” in his life.
He remained a Mexican citizen by choice, having never applied for American citizenship. He married Georgiana Young, an actress, in 1944; they had four children. She was half-sister of the actresses Sally Blane, Polly Ann Young, and Loretta Young, who nicknamed her “Georgie”. After 63 years of marriage, Georgiana Young de Montalbán died on November 13, 2007, at the age of 84. Montalbán died on January 14, 2009 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 88. His cause of death has not yet been identified.
I remember that Delores Hope used to take vacations and pilgrimages to holysites with Loretta Young and Georgie Montalbán.
Ricardo Montalbán was a close friend to the late Father Peyton and did a number of documentaries on the faith, particularly in regard to the Virgin Mary, the Rosary and various Apparitions. He was a religious and moral anchor for many in the Hollywood scene. I recall that along with his wife, they were the godparents to Lonnie Anderson’s child after her breakup with Burt Reynolds.
I remain a huge fan of his work.
May he rest in peace in the loving embrace of the Holy Father, with his beloved Georgiana.
[...] on to the important stuff. Montalban was a devout Catholic. His contributions to the Church were recognized by the Vatican in 1998 when he was made a knight [...]
Ricardo Montalban and Herve Villechaize are together again.
In the wake of Ricardo Montalban’s passing, TCM aired “The Singing Nun” last night. After Googling her to listen to her music this afternoon, I found out many things that I had not know, and also found this blog.
I think that the most significant thing about her suicide was the fact that on the very same day that she and her companion died, the Belgian organization that administers recording royalties, awarded her over $300,000, unbenownst to her.
This is the most ironic twist of God’s test of our faith, and just goes to show you, that there is nothing worth killing yourself over. It’s a great lesson, and a greater loss. She might have gone on to do many more great things.
Hi Fr. Joe,
I realized Fr. Francis Mary is an old issue & I thought silence would be the best answer but after over a year I’m still hurting but I always pray for him. I recorded his program in EWTN & was inspired by him. I now know the meaning of “humans will always disappoint but God will never disappoint”. My great great grandfather was a priest & never saw him alive but to this day, I still think of him & the stigma that he may have suffered. He remained a priest till he died. The family don’t talk about our ancestor but it’s the “best well known secret” in my home town. I hope the child of Fr. Francis will not suffer from any stigma being a child of a priest like my ancestor before me had to struggle. Maybe, to this day and age, the society is more accepting. I just don’t have the comprehension of exactly what happened to all the people fathered by priests. Do they have a support group? I’m 46, when my parents & grandparents were alive, they just don’t talk about it. Should we just continue in silence? I will accept silence if it’s for the best. This how we used to somehow try handle or fix things… silence. I’ll appreciate any response from you. I value your opinion Fr. Joe. I apologize for my grammar & spelling because English is not my first language but my comprehension is very decent.
BTW, I still love Fr. Francis regardless he remains a priest or not. Still wishing for the former & wish him the best.
Thank you for your good work and God bless. We need good priest like you.