1898 – 1956 (December 3)
Gerald Anthony Prior was born August 9, 1898 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania to William Prior and Elizabeth Gannon, and was baptized there August 14, 1898 at St. Aloysius Church. Pottstown. After completing secondary education at Belmont College, Belmont, North Carolina, Gerald did university studies for two years at St. Joseph College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He entered Saint Rita’s Hall in 1920 as a postulant at Villanova, where he continued his university studies. He was received into the novitiate on February 2, 1921, and professed simple vows on February 19, 1922 and solemn vows February 19, 1925. After earning a B. A. from Villanova College, Gerald pursued theological studies at Villanova. He was ordained to the priesthood on August 2, 1925.
Following ordination, Father Prior was assigned for one year to the Augustinian Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York. He then served as a teacher at various Augustinian schools: Augustinian Academy, Staten Island, New York; Fox Valley Catholic High School, Aurora, Illinois; St. Thomas High School, Rockford, Illinois, and Malvern Prep School, Malvern, Pennsylvania.
Father Prior was appointed assistant pastor of St. Augustine Catholic Church, Detroit, Michigan, from 1936 until 1955. In 1955 he was assigned to Mendel Catholic High School, Chicago, Illinois. He died there December 3, 1956.
He is buried in the Augustinian cemetery at Villanova.
