1884 – 1935 (May 9)
William Joseph McCormick was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 15, 1884. He was one of five sons and three daughters of William McCormick, a fireman, and Ann Fitzgerald. William attended public elementary schools, Roman Catholic High School and Villanova Prep, before entering the novitiate at Villanova on July 4, 1907. He was professed the following year, and with eleven classmates was sent to Rome to complete his studies. He was ordained to the priesthood there on July 25, 1913 at the Church of Saint Apollinaris, and the following day celebrated his First Mass at the Shrine of Saint Nicholas in Tolentino, Italy.
Father McCormick returned to the United States in August, 1914 and served at Saint James Parish in Carthage, New York, and Saint Mary’s Parish in Waterford, New York; in Massachusetts at Saint Mary’s Parish in Lawrence and Saint Augustine Parish, Andover, as well as in Detroit, Michigan. For a time, he was also procurator at Villanova. Later, he was appointed prior of Holy Rosary Church in Lawrence, MA. He resigned from this position in May, 1933, after which he was appointed Rector of Saint Augustine’s in Philadelphia.
Father McCormick died in Philadelphia’s Misericordia Hospital on May 9, 1935 at the age of 51. He is buried in the Community Cemetery at Villanova.
