1901 – 1973 (March 4)
Clement Charles McHale was born on April 12, 1901, in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Patrick McHale and Judith Kelly. He was baptized on April 28, 1901 at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, Atlantic City, and received the Sacrament of Confirmation on November 17, 1912 at Saint Mary of the Assumption Church, Pittston, Pennsylvania. Following elementary education at Saint Mary Parochial School, Pittston, Clement studied for one year at Pittston High School. He then completed his secondary education at the Augustinian Preparatory Scholasticate, Villanova, Pennsylvania. On June 27, 1919, Clement was received into the novitiate, professed simple vows on June 29, 1920, and solemn vows on June 29, 1923. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy from Villanova College, Villanova, in 1923, and pursued theological studies at Villanova. He was ordained to the priesthood on August 29, 1926 at Villanova. He did additional studies at a number of schools: Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C.; University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma; and University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
From 1927 to 1935, Father McHale taught at Cascia Hall, Tulsa. He then taught at Saint Rita High School, Chicago, from 1935 to 1937, and as assistant pastor of Saint Rita Parish, Chicago, from 1937 to 1942. Father McHale became a Chaplain in the United States Navy in 1942, and served during World War II in the Pacific theater, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
After discharge from the service, he was named pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Rockford, Illinois, from 1945 to 1947. He then served from 1947 to 1950 as assistant pastor of Saint Matthew Parish, Flint, Michigan.
In 1950, Father McHale was elected the third Prior Provincial of the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, and was elected to a second term in 1953. During his ministry as provincial, the province opened Mendel Catholic High School, Chicago, in 1951 and Austin Catholic High School, Detroit, in 1952. The province also co-sponsored the opening of the Catholic mission in Nagasaki, Japan with the Province of Villanova in 1952.
Upon completion of his provincialate in 1956, Father McHale was assigned to Saint Rita Parish, Chicago. He served as prior until 1958 and then as pastor until 1968. After this, he was assigned to Saint Augustine Parish, Detroit, in 1968, as prior of the Augustinian community until the time of his death on March 4, 1973.
Father McHale is buried in the Augustinian plot at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois.
