Clement Joseph Dwyer was born in Greenwich, New York, to John Dwyer and Sarah Toman on March 21, 1899. He entered the novitiate at Villanova, Pennsylvania on June 27, 1919, and made his profession of simple vows on June 29, 1920. He was solemnly professed on June 29, 1923, and ordained to the priesthood at Villanova by Bishop Thomas Walsh of Trenton, New Jersey, on August 2, 1925.
Leo Joseph Burke was born March 24, 1911, in, Hoosick Falls, New York, to Thomas J. Burke and Catherine McGuire. He was baptized there on April 5, 1911, at Immaculate Conception Church, and was confirmed on June 7, 1920, at the same church. Leo received his elementary and secondary education at St. Mary Academy, Hoosick Falls. Upon graduation from high school in 1928, he entered Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, N.Y., where he did a year of post-graduate studies. He was received into the novitiate on September 10, 1929, and professed simple vows on September 11, 1930 and solemn vows on September 11, 1933.
Pascal Anthony De Cicco was born on April 23, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph De Cicco and Carmela Mizii, and was baptized at Saint Rita of Cascia Church, on May 23, 1926. He attended Saint Rita Parish School, from 1931 to 1940, and Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, from 1940 to 1944. He was received into the novitiate on September 9, 1944, spent a year as a novice at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, N.Y., and professed first vows on September 10, 1945.
William Edward Atkinson was born on January 4, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of three sons and four daughters of Allen J. Atkinson and Mary S. Connelly. He was baptized at Saint Alice's Church, Upper Darby, PA., on January 27, 1946, and later attended St. Alice's Elementary School. He entered Msgr. Bonner High School, in Drexel Hill, in 1959 and, following graduation in 1963, spent a year as a post-graduate postulant at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York. He was accepted as a novice at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, N.Y., on September 9, 1964, and five months later, on February 22, 1965, was involved in a tobogganing accident together with several other novices.
Joseph Mary Dougherty, son of Villanova alumnus, James Dougherty and Mary Rountree, was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania on August 15, 1896. He received his early education at Our Mother of Good Counsel Parochial School, Bryn Mawr, and entered Saint Rita's Hall at Villanova as a postulant in 1912. On June 23, 1916, he was accepted into the novitiate there, and professed simple vows on June 24, 1917. He was solemnly professed on June 27, 1920, and was ordained to the priesthood in the Villanova Church by Bishop Michael Crane on September 22, 1923.
John Joseph Daley, son of Thomas Daley and Margaret Goldan, was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 9, 1904, and was baptized in our church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine. He was received into the novitiate in 1923 and professed simple vows on June 6, 1924. For his theological studies, he was sent to the Royal Monastery of the Escorial, Spain, where he made his solemn profession on June 22, 1927, and where he was ordained on June 27, 1930, by Bishop Luciano Perez Platero.
Angus Nicholas Carney was born on November 22, 1916, in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, the son of Angus Carney and Mary McKenna. He had one brother, William J. Carney, who was also a member of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, and one sister Mary Carney Harrold. Angus was baptized on December 10, 1916, at Holy Savior Church, Linwood, Pa., and attended Holy Savior Parochial School. He entered Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, as a postulant in 1931 and graduated in 1935. He was received into Good Counsel Novitiate on September 9, 1935, and professed simple vows on September 10, 1936.
Thomas Michael Casey was born on May 30, 1939, to Joseph Casey and Anna Jahnkowska in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. He was one of four children. He was baptized in Our Mother of Sorrows Church, and attended the parish elementary school from 1944 to 1953. He was enrolled at Saint Thomas More High School in Philadelphia for one year before transferring to Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, from which he graduated in 1957. On September 9, 1957, Thomas was received into the novitiate, professed simple vows on September 10, 1958, and made solemn profession three years later.
Patrick Joseph Dundon was born in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on March 7, 1893, to Jeremiah Dundon and Grace McFadden. He received his primary and secondary education in the parochial schools in his native city, and worked as a machinist after graduation for a short time. He entered Villanova in September, 1915, and played as guard on the team which became immortal in the history of Villanova by its David vs. Goliath victory over Army that year. He entered the Preparatory Seminary at Villanova in 1916 and was received into the novitiate on June 15, 1918. He made profession of his vows the following ear. In 1920 he was sent to the Collegio Santa Monica in Rome to pursue theological studies.
Edward Martin Dwyer, son of James Dwyer and Katherine Curry was born on March 6, 1906 in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania. He attended Our Mother of Consolation Parish Elementary School, after which he entered Villanova Prep. He was accepted into the novitiate at Villanova on June 25, 1924 and pronounced simple vows on June 26, 1925, and solemn vows on June 26, 1928.
John Francis Casey was born on October 15, 1912 in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, to John Casey and Mary Gibbons. He attended Saint Thomas of Villanova Parochial School from 1919 to 1926, and West Catholic High School from 1927 to 1930. On September 12, 1931 he was received into the novitiate, and on September 13, 1932, he professed simple vows. Three years later, on the same day, he made his solemn profession. After graduation from Villanova College in 1936 with a B.A. degree in philosophy, he pursued theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, DC. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1939, in Washington, D.C., by Michael Curley, Archbishop of Baltimore.
Joseph C. Bartley, son of James Bartley and Helen Golden, was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on May 23, 1893. He entered Saint Rita's Hall, the House of Postulants, at Villanova, Pennsylvania in 1909, after spending one year at Lawrence High School. He was received into the novitiate on June 20, 1912, and professed simple vows on June 20, 1913. He made his solemn professeion on June 23, 1916, and received his A.B, degree that same month. After completing theological studies at Villanova, he was ordained to the priesthood in Saint Charles' Seminary in Overbrook, Pa. by Archbishop Denis Dougherty on June 18, 1919. He received his M.A. from Villanova that same year.
William Leo Egan was born in Easton, New York, on September 27, 1881, the son of Cornelius Egan and Katherine Cullin. His younger brother, George, was also a member of our Province. William attended local public schools and Mechanicville High School, before entering the novitiate at Villanova, Pennsylvania in 1901. He professed simple vows on July 2, 1902, and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Edmond Prendergast at the Overbrook Seminary on May 24, 1906.
Daniel Webster Driscoll, son of John Driscoll and Ellen Crowley, was born on November 18, 1886 in Lawrence, Massachusetts and attended local schools there. His father was a building contractor whose works included the construction of Holy Rosary School and St. Mary’s convent in Lawrence. Daniel entered Saint Rita's Hall at Villanova, Pennsylvania, in 1906, and began his novitiate there in 1908. He professed simple vows on July 7, 1909, and solemn vows on July 8, 1912.
Richard Philip Daley, the son of Daniel Daley and Ellen Sheridan, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 19, 1906. He attended Saint Rita High School, Chicago, and then entered Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York. He was received as a novice on September 8, 1927, and spent his novitiate year at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York. He professed first vows on September 9, 1928, and solemn vows on September 9, 1931. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy at Villanova College in 1932.
Robert Thomas Drummond, one of four children of Charles Drummond and Mary Elizabeth McLaughlin, was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. on November 27, 1935. He attended St. Bernard School in Fitchburg, and Immaculate Conception Grammar School in Lowell. In 1950, he entered Keith Academy in Lowell, and graduated in June 1954. From 1954 to 1956 he attended Merrimack College, North Andover, Mass, but interrupted his college career by entering the active army on November 30, 1956. When he separated from the armed service on September 4, 1958, he continued his studies at Merrimack. In 1961, he graduated from the Massachusetts Military Academy with the rank of second lieutenant, and that same year became a post graduate postulant at the Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York. On September 8, 1962, he was received into the novitiate, professed first vows on September 10, 1963, and made solemn profession three years later.
James Timothy Collins was born in Salem, New York, on April 20, 1865, one of ten children of Michael Collins and Mary Dundon, and was baptized and confirmed in Holy Cross Church in that city. As a lay student at Villanova College, he made application in December, 1886, to the Province, entered the novitiate there on August 28, 1887, and professed vows on September 2, 1888. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Philadelphia Cathedral on June 11, 1892 by Archbishop Patrick Ryan, and celebrated his first Mass at Holy Cross Church in Salem on June 19, 1892.
William Gillespie was born in County Donegal, Ireland, about the year 1866. He was 28 years old when he was vested at Villanova, Pennsylvania, on May 4, 1894. In religious life he was known as Brother John.
Brother John served at Villanova until 1897 when he was transferred to Lawrence, Massachusetts. He returned to Villanova in May, 1900, where he made his novitiate and was professed on August 4, 1901. He left for Havana, Cuba in April, 1902, but returned to Villanova on the 1st of September. In September, 1902, Brother John was appointed to St. Denis in Ardmore, Pa., where he remained until 1911. He was solemnly professed at Villanova on August 5, 1904. In 1914 he was assigned to the community at Our Mother of Consolation Parish, Chestnut Hill, PA., and remained there for the next 23 years.
Brother John suffered a stroke and died ten days later in Philadelphia's Saint Agnes' Hospital on August 31, 1934 at the age of 68. He was buried at Villanova in the Community Cemetery on September 3, 1934. He is remembered as a faithful, good religious.
Michael Duffy, son of Michael Duffy and Catherine Munroe, was born in Baliboro, Knockbridge, County Cavan, Ireland, on September 29, the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, in the year 1825. He became a postulant at Villanova on November 26, 1849, taking the name Brother Stanislaus, and entered the novitiate there on November 13, 1850. He was simply professed the following year, and was solemnly professed on March 14, 1857.
Vincent de Paul Burnell was born September 7, 1911 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to James Burnell and Anna McAteer. He had one sister. He was baptized September 24, 1911, at St. Raphael Church, Philadelphia, and received the Sacrament of Confirmation May 26, 1927 at St. Edmond Catholic Church. After graduating from St. Edmond Elementary School, he began his secondary education at Roman Catholic High School, Philadelphia.
