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Eternal rest grant unto
him, O Lord.
And let perpetual light
shine upon him.
May his soul and the
souls of all the
faithful departed,
through the mercy of
God, rest in peace.
Amen.
WALTER JAMES QUINN, OSA
August 8, 1930 — January
15, 2019
Father Walter James
Quinn, O.S.A., was born
on August 8, 1930, in
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania,
one of two sons and a
daughter of Walter J.
Quinn and Anna Haas. He
was baptized at Saint
Charles Borromeo Church,
Drexel Hill, PA, on
August 17, 1930, and
attended Saint Charles
Parish School and Saint
Andrew Parish School,
both in Drexel Hill. He
entered West Catholic
High School,
Philadelphia, and later
the Wharton School at
the University of
Pennsylvania, where he
obtained a BS in
Economics. With the
completion of studies,
he served in the United
States Army from 1952 to
1954, during the Korean
War. Upon being
discharged from the
service, he worked as a
salesman in the
Pennsylvania-New
Jersey-Delaware area
before entering the
Order as a novice on
September 9, 1955. He
spent his novitiate year
at Good Counsel
Novitiate, New Hamburg,
New York, and professed
simple vows on September
10, 1956. Walter then
attended Villanova
University for
Philosophical studies
and, in 1958, moved to
Augustinian College,
Washington, DC, where he
obtained an MA in
Religious Education. He
also pursued Graduate
Studies in International
Law at the Catholic
University of America.
He professed Solemn Vows
on September 10, 1959,
and was ordained to the
priesthood on June 3,
1961, at the National
Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception, Washington,
DC, by Bishop Philip
Hannan.
Father
Quinn’s first assignment
was to Saint John
Sahagun Friary,
Washington, DC. From
1963 to 1999, Fr. Quinn
served in parochial
ministry throughout the
Province, as an
associate pastor at Our
Mother of Consolation
Parish, Chestnut Hill,
PA from 1963 to 1968;
Saint Genevieve Parish,
Flourtown, PA from 1968
to 1975; Saint Nicholas
of Tolentine Parish,
Bronx, New York, for the
year 1977-1978; Saint
Thomas of Villanova
Parish, Rosemont, PA
from 1979 to 1982; Our
Lady of Good Counsel
Parish, Staten Island,
New York, 1982 until
1985; and Saint Nicholas
of Tolentine Parish,
Atlantic City, New
Jersey, from 1985 until
1990. Twice during his
years in parochial
ministry, Father Quinn
served as pastor: first
as Immaculate Conception
Parish, Hoosick Falls,
New York, from 1975
until 1977; and from
1990 until 1997 at Saint
Augustine Parish,
Philadelphia. In that
latter year Father
volunteered to assist
the Canadian Province
and was stationed at
Saint Augustine
Monastery, in the town
of Monastery, Nova
Scotia. He then returned
to Our Lady of Good
Counsel Parish, Staten
Island, for one year as
associate pastor.
Beginning in 1999,
Father Quinn was
assigned to Saint Thomas
Monastery, Villanova,
and began full-time work
with Priests for Life.
In this ministry he
traveled throughout the
United States visiting
Catholic and Protestant
grade schools, high
schools, colleges,
church groups,
chanceries, and parishes
promoting and defending
all life issues.
In his years at Saint
Thomas Monastery, Father
Quinn found great
pleasure in the hobby of
painting, through which
he exercised a
long-hidden talent and
added to the collection
of Augustinian artists
whose works adorn the
monastery corridor
walls.
Father Quinn passed away
on January 15, 2019 at
Saint Joseph Villa,
Flourtown, where he was
undergoing
rehabilitation following
surgery. He was 88 years
of age and was a
professed member of the
Order for 62 years, a
priest for 57 years.