1911 – 1982 (January 4)

James Daniel Clark was born August 14, 1911 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Francis S. Clark and Regina Twibill. He was baptized August 26, 1911, at Star of the Sea Church, Atlantic City, and was confirmed on May 6, 1922 in the Chapel of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was a student. After beginning his high school education at Saint Joseph Preparatory School, Philadelphia, James transferred to Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, as a postulant, from which he graduated in 1930. He was received into the novitiate on September 11, 1930, and made simple profession of vows on September 12, 1931 and solemn profession on September 12, 1936. James earned a B.A. in Philosophy from Villanova College in 1935, and pursued theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C., from 1935 to 1939. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1938. He earned an M.A. in English from Catholic University of America, Washington, in 1941, and did additional studies at Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois, at the Instituto Peruano Norteamericano, Lima, Peru, and at Oxford University, Oxford, England.

Following the completion of his theological studies, Father Clark was assigned to teach at Colegio San Agustin, Iloilo, Philippines. He returned to the United States in 1940, and was assigned as a teacher at Saint Rita High School, Chicago. During the 1944-45 school year, he was a member of Saint Clare of Montefalco Catholic Parish, Chicago, while teaching at Saint Rita. In 1945 he was transferred to Saint Clare of Montefalco Parish, Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, as assistant pastor. He was named pastor of St. Mary Church, Rockford, Illinois, in 1959. During 1961 and 1962 he was a member of the Augustinian Mission Band headquartered at Saint Joseph Mission House, Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

Father Clark was prior at Tolentine College, Olympia Fields, Ill., in 1962 and 1963. In 1963 he was among the first North American Augustinians to go to Peru when the Midwest Province accepted responsibility for mission territory there. He established the Augustinian Center House in Lima, Peru, and was pastor of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo Parish in that city.

Father Clark returned to the United States in 1968, and served as pastor of Saint Clare of Montefalco Parish, Chicago, until 1971. From 1971 to 1973 he studied at Oxford University. From 1973 until the time of his death, he was assigned to Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery, Villanova, assisting with fund raising for the Augustinian Historical Institute.

Father Clark died suddenly of a heart attack January 4, 1982. He was a well-known preacher and touched thousands of lives through his sermons. He was a gentleman, a kindly pastor, and the brother of Sister Mary T. Clark, R.S.C.J., a well-known Augustinian scholar and author.

Father Clark is buried in the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.