1925 – 2019 (November 9)
James George Glennon was born on February 11, 1925, in Boston, Massachusetts, one of three sons and one daughter of John J. Glennon and Elizabeth Norton. He was baptized on March 1, 1925 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Boston, and attended Cheverus Grammar School, Jamaica Plains, and Mission High School, West Roxbury, graduating in 1943.
He spent a year as a postulant at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, and was received into the Augustinian Order as a novice on September 9, 1944. After a year at Our Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, he professed simple vows on September 10, 1945. He then attended Villanova College, and received his BA in Philosophy in 1949. He professed solemn vows in the Order on September 10, 1948, and pursued theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 9, 1952, at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., by Bishop John McNamara.
Father Jim was assigned as a teacher to Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, D.C., in 1953. From 1960 to 1962, he was assigned to Saint Mary Parish, Lawrence, Massachusetts where he served as associate pastor. In 1962, he returned to the classroom at Monsignor Bonner High School and was assigned to Saint Joseph Friary, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. From 1976 to 1991, he taught at Saint Nicholas of Tolentine High School, Bronx, New York, where he served for a time as prior of the community as well.
Following 36 years in the education apostolate of the province, in 1991 Father Jim left academia and accepted an assignment to Resurrection of Our Lord Parish, Dania Beach, Florida, where he served as associate pastor until 2007. In that latter year, he stepped down as associate pastor but continued as a member of the Augustinian community in Dania assisting in the ministry of the parish on a limited basis. In February 2009 Father moved to St. Thomas of Villanova Monastery, Villanova, Pennsylvania where he remained until the time of his death. At Villanova, he took advantage of the opportunity for daily exercise at the University swimming pool well beyond his 90th year.
Father Jim was a faithful member of the province and a steadfast, quiet laborer in our education and parochial apostolates. In his last years, with the aid of his walker, he concelebrated the early morning Mass in the monastery chapel. He passed away during the early hours of November 9, 2019 following a brief illness. He was 94 years old, was professed for 74 years and was a priest for 67 years.
