Thomas A. Healey, O.S.A.

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1873 – 1927 (January 27)

Thomas Aquinas Healy was born in Athlone, County Roscommon, Ireland, on January 1, 1873, the son of Peter Healey and Bridget McKenna. His family came to the United States when Thomas was a year old. He lived in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, where he attended local schools and then worked as a clerk for eight years. He entered our novitiate at Villanova, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 1902, and professed simple vows on June 30, 1903. He was solemnly professed on July 1, 1906, was ordained ten days later by Bishop O’Reilly of Baker City, Oregon.

Father Healy was appointed Vice President of Villanova College on July 17, 1906 and served there until his appointment as Vice President at Saint Augustine’s in Havana, Cuba in 1908. He later was a member of the Province Mission Band. In 1922 he was sent as rector of San Luis Parish in Colorado, but after several months was appointed to investigate the possibility of establishing a boarding school in San Diego, California. He became the first Augustinian pastor assigned to Saint Vincent Parish in Alta California, and urged the provincial to abandon plans for a boarding school in that city and to open a day school instead. Thus began Saint Augustine High School. In 1924, the diocese swapped parishes and Father Healy now became pastor of Saint Patrick’s Parish.

In 1926, Father Healy was appointed Rector of Saint Thomas of Villanova Parish in Rosemont, Pa, where he died on January 27, 1927 at the age of 54. He is buried in the Community Cemetery at Villanova.