Michael R. Scuderi, O.S.A.

1966 – 2018 (September 27)

Michael Ralph Scuderi was born on October 6, 1966, in Darby, Pennsylvania, the older of two sons and one daughter of Samuel F. Scuderi and Carmel Ann Brescia. He was baptized at Saint Charles Borromeo Church, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, on October 30, 1966 and attended Evans Elementary School, Yeadon, Pa., Yeadon Junior High School and Haverford High School. He studied at Villanova University from 1985-1989 where he earned a degree in Commerce and Finance, specializing in Marketing. During that time, he worked, first as manager at a pizzeria, then in the accounting department of a medical systems company in Malvern, Pa., and finally for Mercy Health Systems in Darby, Pa.

Michael entered the pre-novitiate program of the Province at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C. where he began studies at the Washington Theological Union. He was received into the Order as a novice on August 15th, 2002, in Racine, Wisconsin. After completing his novitiate year, he professed simple vows on August 10, 2003 at Saint Thomas of Villanova Church, Villanova.

Following profession, he continued his theological studies in Washington until 2007. He professed solemn vows on October 4th of that year, and completed his MDiv degree in Chicago, Illinois, at Chicago Theological Union. He was ordained to the priesthood on October 24, 2009, at Saint Rita of Cascia Shrine, Philadelphia, by Bishop Louis De Simone, an Affiliate of the Order and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Father Scuderi was assigned in April of 2009 as parochial vicar at Saint Rita of Cascia Parish and Shrine and was appointed treasurer of the local community. Due to health concerns, he was transferred to Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery, Villanova, on August 1, 2015. While there, he continued his priestly ministry with the Handicapped Encounter Christ Group (HEC), assisting in vocational ministry and celebrating Mass at the Holy Child Convent for retired and infirm Sisters of the Holy Child.   

For almost the entirety of his life, Father Michael suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and was in constant pain. Possessed of a strong will, much patience and a strong religious attitude, he nonetheless strove to live and to minister with a positive spirit and good humor and in this way was a source of encouragement to many others.

Following innumerable hospitalizations, procedures and operations, Father Michael passed over to the Lord in the early hours of September 27, 2018 at Bryn Mawr Hospital, surrounded by his parents and siblings. He was 51 years old and had been a professed religious for fifteen years and a priest for eight. He was survived by his parents, a brother and a sister and many nieces and nephews.

 Father Michael’s Funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday evening, October 1, 2019 in Saint Thomas of Villanova Church, Villanova by Father Joseph Farrell, O.S.A., Vicar General, the brother of Father Michael’s brother-in-law. Father Joseph Genito, O.S.A. preached the homily. Burial took place the following morning in the Augustinian Plot of Clavary Cemetery, West Conshohocken.

Robert M. Burke, O.S.A.

1927 – 2018 (September 20)

Robert Martin Burke was born on April 18, 1927, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the son of Thomas A. Burke and Violet Marshall, and was baptized on February 25, 1934 in Saint James Church, Ventnor, New Jersey. He had one brother and two sisters. He attended Saint James Parochial School, Ventnor, from 1933 until 1941, and Holy Spirit High School, Atlantic City, from 1941 until 1945. He then entered the United States Navy and served fourteen months until 1946. Following his discharge from the service, he entered Villanova College and studied civil engineering for three years. In 1950, he applied to the Order and was received as a novice on September 9, 1950. Upon completion of his year at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, he professed vows on September 10, 1951, and returned to Villanova College where he completed his BS in Physics in June 1952. He then went to Augustinian College, Washington, DC, for theological studies. He professed solemn vows on September 10, 1954, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 4, 1955, at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC, by Bishop John McNamara. He earned an MS degree in Physics from the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, in 1954, and later completed a BS degree in Civil Engineering from Villanova University in 1959.

Father Burke’s first assignment was to Msgr. Bonner High School, Drexel Hill, where he taught from 1956 to 1959. He then taught at Villanova University until 1963 when he returned to Msgr. Bonner High School. In 1974, he was appointed Assistant Director of Admissions and professor at Villanova University. He was assigned to teach at Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, Pennsylvania during the academic year, 1980-1981, and then to the Augustinian community of Casa San Lorenzo, Miami, Florida, where he worked in Admissions at Biscayne College. In 1988, Father Burke was appointed treasurer at Our Mother of Good Counsel Monastery, Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts, where he worked also in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. From 1995 to 1996, while continuing his ministry at Merrimack College, he resided at Saint Augustine Parish, Lawrence, Massachusetts, and then returned to Our Mother of Good Counsel Monastery, Merrimack. In 2003, Father Burke was assigned to Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova. Despite multiple cancer surgeries, and a severe hearing impairment in his later years, he maintained a very positive attitude and friendly demeanor, and was an avid fan of Villanova and professional sports.

Father Burke passed away in the late afternoon of Thursday, September 20, 2018, at Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova, having faithfully served in the educational apostolate of the Province for the entirety of his active ministry. He died at 91 years of age, in the 67th year of his religious profession and the 63rd of priesthood. His Funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday evening, September 24, 2018 in Saint Thomas of Villanova Church, Villanova, PA., by Father Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., Prior Provincial. Father James Wenzel, O.S.A. preached the homily. Father Burke was buried the following morning in the Augustinian Plot of Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, PA.

Michael J. Scanlon, O.S.A.

1937 – 2018 (August 26)

Michael Joseph Scanlon was born on August 1, 1937, in New York, New York, one of three sons and one daughter of Michael J Scanlon and Christine Costello. He was baptized on August 22, 1937 at Saint Anthony Church, Bronx, New York, and attended Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parochial School there from 1943 until 1951. He then enrolled in Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, as a postulant for the Order. He was received as a novice on September 9, 1955, and following a year at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, he professed simple vows on September 10, 1956. He then attended Villanova University from which he received a BA degree in Philosophy in 1960. While at Villanova, he professed solemn vows in the Order on September 10, 1959. Michael pursued theological studies at the Catholic University of America and obtained the STL in 1964 and the STD in 1969. He was ordained to the priesthood on February 1, 1964 at Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Church, Bronx, by Bishop John McGuire, Auxiliary of New York.

Father Scanlon’s first assignment was as teacher of Latin at Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, DC. In 1965 he was assigned to Augustinian College, Washington, where he taught theology for three years until he became a founding faculty member of the Washington Theological Coalition, (later, renamed the Washington Theological Union), a school of theology formed to educate students from several religious communities in the area. While continuing in this ministry until 1992, he was assigned in 1977 to the community at Austin Friars Hall, adjacent to Augustinian College. During the year 1988-1989, Father Scanlon was President of the Catholic Theological Society of America. In 1992, he was appointed the Josephine C. Connelly Professor of Christian Theology at Villanova University, first as a member of Saint John Stone Friary, from 1992 until 2005, then Bellesini Friary, Villanova, until 2008, when he returned once more to Saint John Stone Friary. Because of declining health, he requested in 2012 a transfer to Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova, where he remained until his death on August 26, 2018, in the 61st year of his religious profession and the 54th of priesthood.

Father Scanlon was often called upon to give theological talks and contribute to journals and conferences in his field. His most significant contribution, however, was to the theological education of countless religious and lay students throughout his ministry, especially during his 27 years in Washington, DC. Many of his former students, when encountering an Augustinian, speak glowingly of the influence, during their years of study, of Father Scanlon, and his confrere, close friend, and colleague, Father Edmund Dobbin, O.S.A.

Father Scanlon’s Funeral Mass was celebrated on Friday morning, August 31, 2018 in Saint Thomas of Villanova Church, Villanova, PA. by Father Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., Prior Provincial. Father Kail Ellis, O.S.A. was homilist. Father Scanlon was interred in his family’s grace in Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, PA.

Jerome Bevilacqua, O.S.A.

1937 –          (December 11)

It is with no small blend of sadness mixed with gratitude and joy that the Augustinian Province of St. Augustine in California announces the death of our brother, Rev. Jerome Bevilacqua O.SA. He died December 11th from the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.

Fr. Jerry was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania on August 3, 1937 to Jerome Bevilacqua and Florence (Pinko) Bevilacqua. He was the first of the five Bevilacqua children, including Dale, Frances, David, and Marcia.

Just before becoming a teenager, Fr. Jerry's parents moved their family to San Diego. He graduated from St. John of the Cross School in 1952. Later that year he was introduced to the Augustinians when he entered St. Augustine 's High School. Not long after his graduation, he entered the Augustinian novitiate and professed vows in 1958. He made a solemn profession of vows (life commitment) on February 1, 1961. He was ordained a priest on January 30, 1965.

Jerry loved to learn and always found books to be among his favorite companions. He graduated from Villanova University in 1961, and Augustinian College in 1965. In addition to his love for theology, Fr. Jerry specialized in Library Science.

In the first four years after his ordination, Fr. Jerry ministered as a high school teacher (Villanova Preparatory and St. Augustine's) and parish priest (St. Thomas Aquinas in Ojai.) It was while he was on a year-long retreat (1969-70) at a hermitage in Palestine, Texas that his call to be both a contemplative and an evangelizer was nurtured and affirmed by his Augustinian superiors. In the forty-five years that followed, his ministry led him to an almost continual weekly bible class, the establishment of a retreat and contemplation center at Tierra del Sol, a focus on the healing and (eventual) deliverance ministries, and a spiritual director for a countless number of people. 

Liturgical services for Fr. Jerry will take place on Friday morning, December 16th at St. Patrick's Church in San Diego. A Rosary will be recited at 10:00. The funeral mass will begin at 10:30. Following the liturgy, the burial will take place at Holy Cross cemetery.

Please include in your prayers Fr. Jerry, his sister, nieces and nephews, his caregivers at Stellar Care and Apreva Hospice, the Augustinian family, and all those who ministered with and to him. 

William J. Wynne, O.S.A.

1917 – 2005 (February 2)

William Joseph Wynne, was born to William Wynne and Elizabeth Donovan, on December 31, 1917, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was baptized on January 20, 1918 at the Church of The Sacred Heart and received his early education at Our Lady of Hope Elementary School and Saint Michael Cathedral High School. In 1936, he became a postulant at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, and on September 9, 1937, was received as a novice at Our Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, NY. He professed simple vows on September 10, 1938 and made solemn profession on September 10, 1941. In June 1941, he received his A.B. degree from Villanova College and then continued studies at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 18, 1944 at Trinity College Chapel, Washington. In 1945, he completed his B.S. degree in Library Science at nearby Catholic University.

Father Wynne was assigned to teach at Villanova Preparatory School, Ojai, California in September 1945. The following year, he was appointed assistant Librarian at Villanova College, and a member of the Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery. In 1947, he was assigned as one of the first members who formed the Augustinian community at the newly founded Merrimack College, North Andover, MA. His particular assignment was within his field of library science and teaching. Over the years Father Wynne studied music literature, music theory and chorus directing at institutions such as Boston University, Newton College and Catholic University. From 1958 to 1962, Father Wynne served in Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish and school in the Bronx, N.Y. While there, he studied at the Manhattan School of Music, where he majored in piano with a minor in voice training, and, in 1961, received his Master of Music degree.

In 1962, he was assigned to teach at Monsignor Bonner High School, Drexel Hill, PA. From 1963 to 1974, he exercised parochial ministry at Saint Mary's Parish, Lawrence, Mass., Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish, Jamaica, N.Y., and Saint Patrick Parish, Cambridge, N.Y. From 1974 to 1981, he assisted at Mount Augustine Retreat House, Staten Island. From 1981-1987, while a member of the community at Austin Preparatory School, Reading, Mass., he taught private lessons in piano and voice. In 1987 he was assigned as sacristan and librarian of Our Mother of Good Counsel Monastery, Merrimack College, where he also offered piano and voice lessons. 

In January 2005, due to failing health, Father Wynne was transferred to the Healthcare Unit at Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery, Villanova, PA. He passed away peacefully on February 2, 2005, after a long bout with cancer. At his request he was buried in his family's plot in Saint Michael's Cemetery, Springfield, MA.

In addition to his music skills, Father Wynne had a keen interest in architecture and building construction and had developed a talent for evaluating antiques. He was also noted for his quick wit, humorous story- telling and interest in the history of the Province.

Thomas Wright, O.S.A.

1866 – 1938 (July 30)

Thomas Wright was born on May 10, 1866, in Kilcommon, County Mayo, Ireland, the son of Martin Wright and Mary Henry. He was vested at Villanova, Pennsylvania, on September 18, 1892, and, with a special dispensation granted by Pope Leo XIII, made his novitiate at St. Augustine Church in Philadelphia. He professed first vows there on December 29, 1898, and solemn vows at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Staten Island, on January 3, 1902.

Brother Thomas served at Saint Augustine's in Philadelphia, on Staten Island and in the Bronx, New York, and later at Villanova. He was 72 when he died in Misericordia Hospital in Philadelphia on July 30, 1938. He is buried in the Community Cemetery at Villanova.
 

Edson J. Wood, O.S.A.

1945 – 2014 (April 9)

Edson Jerome Wood was born on September 17, 1946, in Ilion, New York, one of three sons of Edson J. Wood and Marion K. Young. He was baptized on September 28, 1946, at the Church of the Annunciation, Ilion, and attended the parish school there from 1951 to 1956, and Saint Joseph's Parish School, Danbury, Connecticut, from 1956 to 1960. He attended Central Catholic High School, Norwalk, Connecticut, for two years, and Ilion High School, Ilion, N.Y., from 1962 to 1964. He was received into the Order as a novice on September 9, 1964, and after a year at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, N.Y., he professed first vows on September 10, 1965. He attended Villanova University and obtained a BA in Philosophy in 1969. While in the Collegiate Seminary, he served as Master Organist for the Seminary and University, Director of the Seminary Choir, and Coordinator of the Seminary Dramatics Department. He then was assigned to Augustinian College, Washington, DC, where he studied theology at the Catholic University of America, and received the STB and the STL. He professed solemn vows on September 14, 1968. While in the theologate, he taught theology at Archbishop Carroll High School and Latin at The Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac, Maryland. He served as keyboard accompanist at Carroll High School and at the Drama Department of Catholic University, and he assisted in preparing the Carroll High School Marching Band for international competition in Ireland and Rome in 1972 and 1973. He also was instrumental in implementing a pilot program for Grounds and Building Maintenance Operations at Carroll. Edson was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1972, at the Church of the Annunciation, Ilion, N.Y., by Bishop Edward Maginn, Auxiliary Bishop of Albany, N.Y.

From 1970 to 1979, Father Wood was assigned to Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, DC, where he taught theology and was Dean of Students. From 1979 to 1982, he worked as the Assistant to the President at Catholic University of America, Washington, and from 1982 to 1983, he taught Latin at Good Counsel High School, in Wheaton, Md. From 1983 to 1993, he was assigned to Malvern Preparatory School, where he taught theology, was Director of Student Activities and School Chaplain. In 1984, he accepted the position of Chairman of the Steering Committee for the decennial Middle States' evaluation of Malvern Prep, and successfully guided the school through the year of preparation for the committee's visit in 1985. He was also commissioned a Lieutenant in the Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy in 1985, and was honorably discharged in 1991. Beginning in 1993, he served first as Assistant Chaplain and then as Brigade Chaplain at the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
Fr. Wood was known for his ready smile, youthful enthusiasm, keen sense of humor and friendly personality. His entire religious life was spent in either teaching or ministering to the needs of students in high schools and higher educational institutions. 

He suffered a stroke on Friday, March 21, 2014, and was taken to Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, N.Y., where he died on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. A wake was held on Monday, April 14 in St. Thomas of Villanova Church on the campus of Villanova University. The funeral Mass, which followed, was celebrated by Prior Provincial Mickey Genovese, O.S.A. The homilist was Fr. James Flynn, O.S.A. Following the funeral Mass at Villanova, Fr. Wood’s body was taken to the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., where a wake was held at Holy Trinity Catholic Chapel on Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Following the wake service on Tuesday, a funeral Mass was celebrated in the Cadet Chapel. Fr. Wood is buried in the Wood family plot at Armory Hill Cemetery, Ilion, N.Y. 

Frederick J. Winn, O.S.A.

1906 – 1962 (April 24)

Frederick John Winn was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on March 18, 1906, to Peter Winn and Emma Grandpre. He received his early education at Saint Mary's Grammar School, and then at Lawrence High School, after which he entered Augustinian Academy on Staten Island, New York, as a postulant. In 1929, he was received into the novitiate of Our Mother of Good Counsel in New Hamburg, N.Y. in 1928, and made his profession of simple vows on September 10, 1929, and solemn vows in 1932. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy from Villanova that same year, and pursued theological studies at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 11, 1935 at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.  

From 1936 until 1950, Father Winn was a teacher at Cascia Hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1950, he was transferred to Saint Rita's High School in Chicago, IL. Three years later, at the Chapter of 1953, he was elected prior of Saint Mary's in Rockford, IL.In 1956, Father Winn became prior at Mendel High School in Chicago where he died on April 24, 1962 at the age of 56. He is buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Lawrence.
 

William G. Wingert, O.S.A.

1904 – 1935 (April 17)

William George Wingert was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 12, 1904, the son of Oliver Wingert, a painter, and Catharine Strassner. He was a student at Saint Bonaventure Parochial School in Philadelphia, and at Villanova Prep. For a time he was employed as a clerk. William entered the novitiate at Villanova in 1924, and was professed on June 26, 1925. Solemn profession took place on the same date in 1928. 

William received his Bachelor of Arts degree after completing his studies at Saint Mary's Hall, but he then became seriously ill and was forced to discontinue his training. He spent the years between 1928 and 1935 at White Haven, Pa., Andover, Massachusetts, and at the novitiate in New Hamburg, New York, trying to improve his health.

He died on April 17, 1935, in Norristown State Hospital of pulmonary tuberculosis, at the age of 31. He was buried on April 22nd in the Community Cemetery at Villanova.
 

John F. Wilson, O.S.A.

1905 – 1989 (March 27)

John Francis Wilson was born on August 24, 1905, in Troy, New York, to Guy H. Wilson and Ellen Mackrell. He had four brothers and a sister. Baptized in Saint Augustine Church, Troy, he attended the parish grammar school and for three years Central Catholic High School, also in Troy. In 1922 he applied and was accepted as a fourth year postulant at Saint Rita Hall, Villanova, PA, from which he graduated in 1924. He entered at Our Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, N.Y., where he professed simple vows on June 24, 1924. Three years later, on June 22, 1927, he professed solemn vows at Saint Mary's Hall, on the campus of Villanova College, from which he graduated with an B.A. degree in philosophy that same year. While at Villanova, he took summer courses in mathematics and physics. Sent to Spain for his theology studies, he was ordained at the Escorial Monastery by Bishop Luciano Pereaz Plutero on July 25, 1930. On his return to the United States, he received an M.A. from Villanova University in 1931.

Father Wilson's first assignments were in the field of education, first at Villanova College where he taught and was a hall prefect, then at San Agustin, Havana, Cuba, where he taught and perfected his skills in the Spanish language. He also taught at Saint Rita High School, Chicago, IL, and at Cascia Hall, Tulsa, OK. In 1949 he was assigned to Villanova Preparatory School in Ojai, CA. Two years later, in 1951, he received his first parochial assignment to Our Mother of Good Counsel Parish, Los Angeles, CA, where he helped to set up a mission church for the growing parish. In 1952 he was assigned as assistant pastor to Saint Laurence O'Toole Church, Lawrence, MA, and after four years was transferred to Saint Mary's Church in the same city.

From 1956 to 1969 Father Wilson was assistant pastor and ministered in the Spanish-speaking apostolate at the Immaculate Conception Mission of the parish, and supervised the grammar school and girls' high school. In 1969 he was assigned as pastor to Saint James the Minor Church, Carthage, N.Y., and in 1973 was transferred to Saint John the Baptist Church, Schaghticoke, N.Y., as acting prior. The following year he was assigned to Saint Patrick Church, Cambridge, N.Y., as pastor and remained at Saint Patrick's as assistant pastor following his retirement in 1977.
Father Wilson was an outgoing person with a ready wit and keen sense of humor. He continued even in his years of retirement to exert wide influence. He died on March 27, 1989.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 30, 1989, at Saint Patrick Church. Father Wilson is buried in the Augustinian plot of Saint John Cemetery, Troy, NY.
 

Henry A. Wierman, O.S.A.

1903 – 1981 (January 13)

Henry Aloysius Wierman, son of Thaddeus K. Wierman and Rose McMaster, was born in McSherrystown, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 1903. After attending Villanova Preparatory School, he entered the novitiate at Villanova on June 21, 1923. He professed simple vows on June 22, 1924, and solemn vows on June 22, 1927. He graduated from Villanova College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1927, and studied theology at Augustinian College in Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 10, 1930.

For one year after ordination Father Wierman served as a student priest at Villanova College, Villanova, Pa. In 1931 he was sent to Saint Rita Parish, Chicago, IL, where he served as an assistant until 1935, when he was transferred to Saint Rita High School in the same city. When the new Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel was formed in 1941, he was appointed prior at Saint Rita High School, and in 1944, prior at Saint Thomas High School, Rockford, IL. In 1947 he was transferred to Saint Mary's Parish, Rockford, where he served as assistant pastor and councilor of the province.

When Saint Augustine Seminary was opened in Holland, MI, in 1949, Father Wierman was assigned there and served there until the seminary closed in 1977. From then until the time of his death, he lived in retirement at Holy Rosary Parish, Kenosha, WI. He died on January 13, 1981.

Father Henry Wierman was revered for both his candor and his humility. He was well-known as a confessor and gave patient counsel and direction to many of his fellow Augustinians. He touched the young and old, both within and outside the Augustinian community.

Father Wierman is buried in the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, PA.
 

Joseph Whittindale, O.S.A.

1815 – 1885 (December 9)

Joseph Whittindale, son of Richard Whittendale and Anastasia White, was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, on November 6, 1815. He received the habit at Villanova, Pennsylvania, in December, 1845, and was professed on September 8, 1852 together with Brothers Joseph Shea and James O’Brien.

Brother Joseph served at Chestnut Hill, Pa. and Lansingburg, New York. In 1870, he was assigned to Villanova where he served until he died on December 9, 1885, after being struck by a Paoli train on a dark foggy evening. He was 70 years old. Brother Joseph was buried at Villanova in the community cemetery on December 12, 1885.

He is remembered as a man of genial character, bright, lively, very good and pious, cheerful, witty and always good natured and ready to be of service.
 

Norbert W. Whitley, O.S.A.

1910 – 1990 (December 5)

Norbert William Whitley was born on May 10, 1910, to William Whitley and Anna Dolores Ferry in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had one sister. Both of his parents died while he was quite young, and he and his sister were raised by their aunts and uncles. He attended Fitler Public School, and Saint Francis of Assist Parish School, both in Germantown, and Assisi High School for two years, transferring to North Wales High School from which he graduated in 1928. After graduation he became a traveling salesman for a musical supply company. In September 1931, he was accepted as a postgraduate postulant at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York. The following September he entered Our Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, where he pronounced simple vows on September 11, 1933. Three years later, on September 11, 1936, he made solemn profession of vows at Saint Mary's Hall, Villanova, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Villanova College in June of 1937, with an A.B. degree in philosophy. Norbert was sent to Collegio Santa Monica, Rome, Italy, where he began the study of theology at the Gregorian University in the fall of 1937. The growing tensions and outbreak of the Second World War compelled him and other Americans to return home. Before leaving, however, he was ordained a priest on May 25, 1940, at the Church of Saint Ignatius by Archbishop Aloisio Traglia. On his return to this country, he continued his theology studies at Augustinian College, Washington, DC. In 1941 he received an S.T.L degree in theology and in 1949 the S.T.D. from The Catholic University.

Father Whitley's was assigned in 1943 to Augustinian College as professor and submaster of professed. In 1945 he was appointed master of professed, a position he held until 1957. In that year he was transferred to Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova University, to serve as chaplain of the University. In 1962 he was elected provincial secretary, as a member of the Saint Thomas of Villanova Parish community, Rosemont, PA. In 1965 he was named prior of the new Saint Mary's Hall, the collegiate seminary. From 1969 to his retirement in 1981 he was engaged in the parochial ministry as pastor of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish in Atlantic City, New Jersey; prior and assistant at Our Mother of Consolation in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania; prior and pastor of Saint Laurence O'Toole Parish in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and finally assistant at Resurrection of Our Lord in Dania, Florida. In 1981, afflicted with arthritis that over the years had grown worse, he retired to Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova, until his death.

Father Whitley loved life, and despite his condition his spirits remained high and his outlook cheerful. He enjoyed going to the shore, having a good meal, and hearing or telling a joke. He kept in touch with many of his former students whom he had trainedduring his years as master in Washington as well as the people with whom he had come in contact during his years of parish ministry.

On December 5, 1990, having reached eighty years and celebrated fifty years as a priest, he died peacefully in Bryn Mawr Hospital. Prior Provincial, John Hagen, O.S.A., was the celebrant at the Mass of Christian Burial on December 7, 1990 in the Villanova Church. James Wenzel, O.S.A., was the homilist. Father Whitley is buried in the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
 

Michael A. White, O.S.A.

1849 – 1900 (April 5)

Michael Augustine White, was born on February 5, 1849, to Thomas White and Joanne Garrihy White, in Islandbawn, County Clare, Ireland. On February 2, 1881, he entered the novitiate at Villanova, Pa., professed first vows on February 2, 1882, and solemn vows on February 3, 1885. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1885, by Archbishop Patrick J. Ryan, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, in Philadelphia, Pa.

On September 7, 1885, Father White received as assignment that was to be his only one - to St. Mary's Parish, Lawrence, Ma., where he assisted in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, a mission of St. Mary's. Father White, who had developed superior writing skills, was chosen to contribute the introduction to The Catholic Church Alone, The One True Church of Christ, published on July 24, 1889 by the Catholic Educational Company of New York and Philadelphia. The publication, comprising 1,224 pages, was the work of six leading authors of the day. In the Preface, Father White stated, "What hopes can we entertain of a person to whom the science of virtue and eternal salvation doth not seem interesting or worth his application?" Reflecting upon the need for spiritual reading, Father White quoted Saint John Chrysostom who wrote, "It is impossible that a man should be saved, who neglects assiduous pious reading." Father White emphasized the absolute obligation for pastors to preach the word of God and for all to realize that, "studying the Catechism is only the groundwork - the foundation stone; but we must finish the structure." On April 5, 1900, Father White, at the age of fifty-one, died in St. Mary's rectory, and was buried in the Augustinian plot of Saint Mary-Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Lawrence, Massachusetts. 

John P.A. Whelan, O.S.A.

1862 – 1934 (October 13)

John Patrick Augustine Whelan was born in Dublin, Ireland, on January 27, 1862, to Patrick Whelan and Margaret O’Brien. He entered the novitiate at Villanova, Pennsylvania, in 1881, and made his profession of simple vows on February 2, 1882. He was solemnly professed on February 3, 1885, and was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Patrick Ryan on May 23, 1885.

Father Whelan served at Saint Mary's in Lawrence, Massachusetts; Saint Augustine's in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and in our parishes in New York State at North Troy, Hoosick Falls, and Staten Island. For many years, Father Whelan was on the Province Mission Band and was known as an eloquent and successful preacher. During some years of retirement at Villanova, he was professor of Homiletics at Saint Mary's Hall. From 1922 to 1924, he published three volumes of his sermons which were entitled Augustinian Sermons. In 1925, he published a volume called Retreat for Augustinians.

Father Whelan died at Villanova on October 13, 1934 at the age of 72. He is buried there in the Community Cemetery.
 

John A. Whelan, O.S.A.

1894 – 1953 (April 11)

John Andrew Whelan, son of Michael Whelan and Rose Tracy was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on July 5, 1894, and was baptized there in the Church of St. Laurence O’Toole. He attended Lawrence High School and then one year at Villanova Prep before entering the novitiate at Villanova in 1916. He professed simple vows on June 24, 1917 and solemn vows on June 27, 1920. That same year he received his B.A. from Villanova. Following theological studies, he was ordained to the priesthood on September 22, 1923 by Bishop Michael Crane at Villanova.

Father Whelan served for two years as a professor in St. Augustine's School in Havana, Cuba. In 1926 he was assigned to St. Augustine Parish, Andover, MA., and in 1929 was  transferred to St. Mary’s in Lawrence. He returned to Cuba in 1932 for one year and then to Malvern Preparatory School in 1933. He was stationed at Holy Rosary Parish, Lawrence from 1935 until 1939, when he was appointed sub-prior of the community of St. Nicholas of Tolentine in the Bronx. There followed assignments to St. Augustine in Philadelphia, St. John in Schaghticoke, St. in Greenwich and St. Paul in Mechanicville. 

Father Whelan suffered a heart attack on Good Friday, in April, 1953. He died a week later in Troy Hospital on April 11, at the age of 58. The Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Paul’s Church, Mechanicville. A second Mass was offered at St. Laurence O’Toole Parish in Lawrence, MA., followed by burial in St. Mary's Cemetery, Lawrence.
 

Raymond P. Wheeler, O.S.A.

1913 – 1995 (December 30)

Raymond Philip Wheeler was born April 4, 1913 in Chicago, Illinois to Andrew Wheeler and Alice Mary Mersick. He had three sisters, and was baptized on April 20, 1913 at Visitation Church, Chicago. He attended St. John the Baptist and St. Rita Elementary Schools, both in Chicago. He began his high school studies at Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Chicago, then transferred to Lindblom High School, Chicago. He entered Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York, in 1932 as a post-graduate student. On September 9, 1933 he was received into the novitiate, professed simple vows on September 10, 1934, and solemn vows September 10, 1937. He received a B.A. in Philosophy from Villanova College, Villanova, Pennsylvania, in 1938, and studied theology from 1938 to 1940 at the Gregorian University, Rome, while a member of the community of Collegio Santa Monica. The outbreak of World War II necessitated his return to the United States, where he completed his studies at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C. He earned his S.T.B. in 1940. He was ordained a Priest in Washington in 1941.

Father Wheeler did graduate studies in chemistry at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. He studied Science at the University of California and Education at the University of Illinois. He was assigned in 1942 to Saint Rita High School, where he taught in the Summer School program. He was transferred in August 1942 to Saint Monica Seminary, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, where he served as a teacher. One year later, he was moved to Saint Thomas High School, Rockford, Illinois. In 1945 he returned to Saint Rita High School, Chicago, where he ministered for 22 years, teaching chemistry and serving as Dean of the Science Department.

Father Wheeler became assistant pastor of Saint Clare of Montefalco Parish, Chicago, in 1967. In 1968 he was transferred to Saint Rita Parish, Chicago, as assistant and prior. In 1977 he was named pastor and prior of Saint Mary Parish, Independence, Missouri. Father Wheeler moved to Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Monastery, Olympia Fields, Illinois, in 1979, as business manager. He continued to work with the Knights of Columbus and of the Alhambra, and also provided sacramental ministry at nearby homes for the aged and at local parishes.

Father Wheeler is remembered as a deeply religious and dedicated priest. He died on December 30, 1995, and is buried in the Augustinian plot at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois.

John P. Whalen, O.S.A.

1887 – 1935 (March 4)

John Peter Whalen, was born to Michael Whalen and Mary Breen, on November 2, 1887, in Heckscherville, Pennsylvania. He received his early education at Saint Edward Parochial School, Shamokin, Pa., followed by four years at Villanova Preparatory School, Villanova, Pa. On June 25, 1909, he entered the novitiate, professed first vows on June 25, 1910, and solemn vows three years later. On May 22, 1915, John was ordained to the priesthood in the Cathedral Basilica of SS Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, by Archbishop Edmond F. Prendergast.

Father Whalen served in the parishes of Saint Laurence O'Toole and Saint Mary, Lawrence, Mass., and the Immaculate Conception, Hoosick Falls, New York. He was appointed pastor of Saint Augustine Parish, North Troy, N.Y. and later, served as pastor at Saint Thomas of Villanova Parish, Villanova, Pa. Between 1926 and 1929, Father Whalen was a definitor during the provincialate of Father Daniel Herron, O.S.A. In 1932, Father Whalen became pastor of Saint Clare of Montefalco Parish, Chicago, Illinois.

Father Whalen made a host of friends and admirers by his ever pleasant, friendly disposition, and his faithfulness in carrying out his duties as a priest, especially in his care for the sick and others who requested counsel during the sacrament of penance.

Father Whalen died at Saint Clare, after a brief illness. He was in his 48th year. A solemn high mass of requiem was offered at the Church of Saint Clare, after which his body was transferred to Villanova, Pa, where a second solemn high mass was celebrated in Saint Thomas Church. Internment was conducted at the Augustinian community cemetery, Villanova, Pa.

Robert J. Welsh, O.S.A.

1921 – 1992 (November 7)

Robert Joseph Welsh was born on July 15,1921, one of two sons and four daughters of Robert Welsh and Elizabeth Walpole, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was baptized and received his elementary education at Saint Agatha Parish, Philadelphia, and attended West Catholic High School, from which he graduated in 1938. After a semester at LaSalle College in Philadelphia, he transferred to Augustinian Academy, the Preparatory Seminary on Staten Island, New York, as a post-graduate student. In September 1939, he was received as a novice at Our Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate where on September 10, 1940 he professed simple vows. Three years later, at Saint Mary's Hall, the collegiate seminary, he professed solemn vows. He graduated from Villanova in 1943 with an A.B. degree and began his study of theology at Augustinian College in Washington, DC. During the summer months he took graduate courses in English at the nearby Catholic University of America. On February 11, 1947, he was ordained to the priesthood at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Following ordination, he was sent to Saint Monica's, the international house of studies in Rome, where he began graduate studies in theology at the Gregorian University. In 1948 he earned a S.T.L. and two years later he was awarded a S.T.D. cum laude.

Father Welsh's first assignment was to Augustinian College in Washington, DC, where from 1950-1956 he taught theology and was submaster of professed. In 1956 he was transferred to Villanova College where he taught in the department of theology until 1965. During these years he also served as secretary of the Province until 1959. In 1960 he was appointed assistant dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the following year he became dean. Inn1967 Father Welsh became the 28th President of Villanova University, a position he held until 1971. These were years of change and campus unrest during which his understanding was greatly appreciated by both students and faculty. In 1971 he was named prior of Augustinian College in Washington, DC, and at the same time was chosen to be president of the Washington Theological Coalition, later to become the Washington Theological Union. In 1975 he was elected to the Council of the Province and transferred to Saint Thomas Monastery. Father Welsh served also as province director of education until 1979. From 1980 to 1984 he brought his wealth of experience to Malvern Preparatory School where he became a popular and respected guidance counselor. In 1985 he was named Province Treasurer and held that position until 1988. In that year he was named Assistant to the President of Villanova University, a position he continued to hold even as his health began to fail. During his active years in the education apostolate, Father Welsh served on the Board of Trustees of Villanova University, Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts, and Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, Pennsylvania. A building on West Campus at Villanova University was named in his honor.

A very private person, Father Welsh endured with patience the discomfort associated with the treatment of his condition, giving to all with whom he was associated an example of Christian suffering.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Saint Thomas of Villanova Church on November 11. Father Edmund J. Dobbin, O.S.A., president of Villanova University, delivered the homily. The following day interment took place in the Augustinian plot of Calvary Cemetery in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

Henry F. Weeks, O.S.A.

1910 – 1988 (September 18)

Henry Francis Weeks was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, on February 5, 1910, the only child of Henrv F. Weeks and Catherine Groark. His father died shortly after his birth and he was raised by his devoted mother. Baptized in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Chester, Pennsylvania, he attended Holy Spirit Grammar School and, in 1926, transferred to Our Mother of Good Counsel in Bryn Mawr, where his mother had gained employment. Graduating in 1933, and influenced by the Augustinians of the parish, he enrolled as a postulant in Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York. He graduated in June 1937 and entered Our Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, where he professed simple vows on September 11, 1938. His college years were spent at Saint Mary's Hall on the campus of Villanova College, where he professed solemn vows on September 11, 1941, and graduated with an A.B. degree in philosophy in June 1942. His theological studies were done at Augustinian College, Washington, DC, where he was ordained to the priesthood on May 22, 1945 at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception by Bishop McNamara. While studying theology, Father Weeks worked obtained, in 1942, a M.S. degree in mathematics with a minor in physics from the Catholic University.
Father Weeks' first assignment in 1946 was to the collegiate seminary, Saint Mary's Hall, where he taught mathematics to the professed and lay students of Villanova. In 1947 he was appointed submaster of professed. During these years he proved to be an excellent and popular instructor. In 1952 he was assigned to the Augustinian Mission Band and for the next four years became a much sought after preacher throughout the country. In 1955 he was assigned to Our Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, as submaster of novices and Province director of vocations, while continuing to do mission work. After a year he was transferred to Augustinian Academy, as director of postulants. Wishing to return to teaching, he was assigned to Villanova University as a professor of math and chaplain to nearby Rosemont College.

In 1959 Father Weeks was assigned as assistant pastor to Saint Rita Parish, Philadelphia, but returned to Villanova University the following year to assume the position of chairman of the theology department and chaplain to Rosemont College. In 1965 he was assigned as professor of math and religion at Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts. The following year he returned to the Mission Band but continued to reside at Merrimack College. In 1971 he was assigned briefly to Saint Paul Church, Mechanicville, New York, as assistant pastor but returned that same year to Merrimack.
In the early 1970s, Father Weeks suffered the loss of his devoted mother and the first onset of a debilitating illness, which was diagnosed by a variety of medical authorities as irreversible. For the next twenty-five years, he endured patiently an apostolate of suffering as his faculties continued to weaken. He remained in residence at the Monastery at Merrimack and in 1982 was transferred to Saint Thomas Monastery of Villanova University. He died of heart failure in Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, on September 18, 1988.
Father Weeks' life was marked by a great devotion to Our Blessed Mother. His humble and gentle manner greatly impressed many who came in contact with him as a priest, teacher, counselor, and preacher. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on September 21, 1988, at Saint Thomas of Villanova Church on the university campus by the vicar provincial, Francis Horn, O.S.A. The homilist was his close friend, Father Edwin T. Grimes, O.S.A. Father Weeks is buried in the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.