1930 – 2019 (January 15)
Walter James Quinn 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, and attended both Saint Charles and Saint Andrew Parish Schools. He entered West Catholic High School, Philadelphia, and later the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he obtained a BS in Economics. He served in the United States Army from 1952 to 1954, during the Korean War. Once discharged from the service, he worked as a salesman before entering Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York on September 9, 1955. He professed simple vows on September 10, 1956 and 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. He then served in parochial ministry 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.
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 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 Villa Saint Joseph, 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.
