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1917 – 1992 (April 14)

John Joseph Curran was born on September 10, 1917, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to John J. Curran and Catherine Burke. He had one brother. Baptized on September 23, 1917, in Our Lady of Victory Church, Philadelphia, the family moved to Wildwood, New Jersey, where John attended Saint Ann’s Parish School and Wildwood High School. In 1939 he graduated from Villanova College with a B.S. in Biology. He entered Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, as a postulant in February of 1940. Upon completion of his novitiate at Our Mother of Good Counsel, New Hamburg, N.Y., John professed simple vows September 10, 1941, and three years later, September 10, 1944, he made solemn profession.

906 – 1971 (April 11)

James Augustine Donnellon, son of James Donnellon and Catherine Mahon, was born on September 10, 1906, in the parish of St. Joseph, Niagara Falls, New York. The Donnellons moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts, where James received his elementary education in St. Laurence O’Toole Parish School. He graduated in 1920, began high school at St. John’s Preparatory School, Danvers, MA., and then entered Augustinian Academy on Staten Island, New York, graduating in 1924. On August 15, 1925, he was received into the novitiate, professed first vows on August 16, 1926, and made solemn profession on August 16, 1929.

1929 – 2014 (April 11)

Donald Xavier Burt was born on April 29, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of William Burt and Mary T. Clark, one of five brothers and two sisters. He was baptized at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Philadelphia, on May 19, 1929. He attended Our Lady of the Rosary Parish School, from 1935 to 1943, and Saint Thomas More High School for three years, from 1943 to 1946. He entered Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York as a postulant and completed his high school education there.

1847 – 1901 (April 8)

Patrick Augustine Carr, son of Patrick Carr and Mary Burke Carr, was born on August 2, 1847, in Headford, County Galway, Ireland. He was baptized on August 15, 1847, in the church of St. Mary there. He entered Villanova College in 1876 from Amesbury, Massachusetts, where a number of Irish families had settled. On September 26, 1878, he entered the novitiate at Villanova, professed first vows on September 27, 1879, and solemn vows on September 27, 1882. On December 2, 1882, Patrick was ordained to the priesthood with Michael M. Fogarty and John T. Emmet, by Bishop Jeremiah F. Shanahan of Harrisburg, Pa., in the “Gymnasium Church” at Villanova.

1925 – 2010 (April 6) Raymond Edwin Geisser was born on February 1, 1925, in Riverside, Rhode Island, one of two sons and one daughter of George J. Geisser and Madelyn M. Grady. He was baptized on February 22, 1925, at Saint Brendan’s Church, Riverside, R.I. He attended Arthur E. Pratt School and Riverside Junior […]

1907 – 1996 (April 4)

John Robert Dunne, son of John M. Dunne and Mary E. MacGregor, was born on February 4, 1907, on Staten Island, New York, and was baptized in the Church of the Sacred Heart there. He received his early education at St. Peter’s Grammar School, Staten Island, and attended St. Francis Xavier High School in Manhattan for two years. John entered Augustinian Academy on Staten Island, as a day student, and became a postulant in his senior year. In 1925, he was a member of the first graduating class of the Academy at its Grymes Hill location. On August 15, 1925, his class was the first to become novices in the newly founded Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York. He professed first vows on August 16, 1926, and made solemn profession on August 16, 1929.

1906 – 1962 (April 2)

Daniel Patrick Falvey, son of Thomas D. Falvey and Margaret McCarthy, was born on March 4, 1906, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and was baptized the same day in the Church of the Sacred Heart there. In 1926, he graduated from Sacred Heart High School and then entered the Engineering School of Villanova University, Villanova, Pa. Two years later, he entered the novitiate at New Hamburg, New York, professed first vows on September 10, 1929, and solemn vows on September 10, 1932.

1880 – 1919 (April 1)

Patrick Joseph Gallagher, son of John Gallagher and Mary Dorcey was born on April 4, 1880, in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland, and was baptized in Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church on April 14, 1880. In Ireland, he became a Brother of the Order of St. Francis, accepting the religious name “Conleth.” On July 26, 1902, he came to the United States and continued his vocation as a Franciscan, residing in St. Francis College, Loretto, Pennsylvania. On February 27, 1903, his petition to be released from vows was granted, and on September 8, 1904, he entered the novitiate of our province at Villanova, Pa. He professed first vows on September 9, 1905, and solemn vows on September 18, 1908.

1876 – 1940 (April 1)

Henry Thomas Conway, son of Thomas Conway and Susan McKeon, was born on October 27, 1876, in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and was baptized on November 5, 1876, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception. He attended Villanova College where he won all-American recognition as a football player, and as a Villanova baseball player received many offers from major league baseball clubs. Instead, on May 4, 1897, he entered the novitiate at Villanova, professed simple vows on May 4, 1898, and solemn vows on May 29, 1901.

1897 – 1952 (March 31)

Edwin Alfred Dickenson, son of Alfred Dickenson and Margaret Lenertz, was born on June 25, 1897, in Buffalo, New York, and baptized in Saint Nicholas Church on July 4, 1897. After his family moved to Chicago, Illinois, Edwin attended Saint Columbanus Parish School for one year, followed by four years at Saint Rita High School. After graduation he spent one year working as a printer and, in September, 1916, entered Villanova College, Villanova, Pennsylvania. On June 14, 1917, he was received into the novitiate at Saint Rita Hall, Villanova, professed first vows on July 23, 1918, and solemn vows on July 23, 1921.