Category Archives: today

1889 – 1967 (April 18)

William Liguori Fink was born on August 29, 1889, in McSherrystown, Pennsylvania, to John J. Fink and Mary Shorb. He received his elementary education at St. Joseph Parochial School, McSherrystown, and after completing one hear of high school at St. Joseph, he entered the Augustinian minor seminary at St. Rita’s Hall, Villanova, Pennsylvania, where he completed his secondary education. He was received into the novitiate on July 6, 1908, and professed simple vows on July 7, 1909, and solemn vows on September 22, 1912.

1939 – 1996 (April 18)

John Allan Crosson, son of John E. Crosson and Eleanor Laskey, was born on Staten Island, New York, on December 10, 1939, and was baptized on December 31, 1939 in the Church of St. Paul, Staten Island, where he received his early education. He studied at St. John Baptist de la Salle and Don Bosco Technical High School in Paterson, New Jersey, and on July 15, 1957, entered  Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, N.Y., as an oblate. Two years later he began his six month postulancy. On January 24, 1960, John entered the novitiate at New Hamburg, N.Y., professed simple vows on January 25, 1961, and three years later made solemn profession.

1897 – 1926 (April 17)


William Francis Berry, son of William Berry, a watchman, and Ann Jennings, was born in Castlebar, Count Mayo, Ireland on February 13, 1897. He immigrated to the United States with his family in 1906, studied at Saint Anselm Grammar School in the Bronx and at local public schools before he entered the novitiate at Villanova, Pennsylvania in 1916. He pronounced first vows on June 24, 1917, and solemn vows on June 27, 1920. He was sent to Spain to study theology and was ordained there on July 15, 1923.

1916 – 1984 (April 16)

Edmund Lawrence Burke, son of Lawrence Burke and Jennie Proctor, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 30, 1916. He received his early education at Visitation and Saint Clare grammar schools and spent his high school at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York. He entered the novitiate on September 8, 1934, and professed first vows on September 10, 1935 and solemn vows on September 10, 1938. After his novitiate he began college work at Villanova College and received his degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1939. He pursued theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, DC, where he was ordained to the priesthood at Trinity College on May, 28, 1942.

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.