1834 – 1904 (February 24)
Peter Crane, son of James Crane and Mary O'Connor, was born in Bannow, County Wexford, Ireland, on July 20, 1834. He was the fourth of the five Crane brothers to join our Order. Together with his brother Mark and Thomas Galberry, he entered the novitiate at Villanova on January 1, 1852, and professed vows on January 4, 1853. He was ordained to the priesthood at Villanova in the Old Chapel of 1844 by Bishop John Neumann on November 1, 1857.
During the year 1859, Father Peter had charge of the missions at Parkesburg and Doe Run in Chester County and Dromore in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. These missions were attended from Villanova. Later he became prior at Villanova and also served from there at Saint Denis mission in Havertown, Pa. After the death of his brother Mark who was pastor at the time of Old Saint Augustine in Philadelphia, Father Peter was given that duty and served there until 1890. In the Chapter held that year, he was sent to Saint Mary's Parish, Lawrence, Massachusetts, where he died on February 24, 1904 at the age of 69.
Father Peter Crane is buried in the vault at Old Saint Augustine Church in Philadelphia.
