Two members of the Marianist community are celebrating their 70th year of religious life, while two others are marking their 60th anniversary. The four will be honored at a Mass of thanksgiving in the chapel of the Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston, on Saturday, Aug. 2.
The 70-year men are Father Paul Landolfi, S.M., and Brother James Leahy, S.M. The 60-year jubilarians are Fathers Christopher Conlon, S.M., and John McGrath, S.M.
Father Landolfi was born in Brooklyn and grew up in St. John’s Home in Bedford-Stuyvesant. He attended St. John’s elementary school and then Alexander Hamilton H.S., Crown Heights, the University of Dayton, Ohio, the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, and Villanova University, Pa.
He made his first vows on Aug. 20, 1944. He was ordained a Marianist priest in Fribourg on July 17, 1955.
He taught at Covington Catholic H.S. and Chaminade H.S. in Dayton. He was principal at St. James H.S., Chester, Pa., and also taught at the Colegio San Jose in Puerto Rico. He later served as director of the Marianist Center.
Brother James was born in Brooklyn and attended St. Michael’s School; Mount St. John H.S., Dayton; the University of Dayton, and Ohio State University.He professed his first vows in Beacon, N.Y., on Aug. 20, 1944.
He taught at Cathedral Latin School, Ohio; Chaminade H.S., Mineola, L.I.; Trinity College, Sioux City, Iowa; Covington Catholic H.S., Dayton; St. Joseph H.S., Cleveland; Hamilton Catholic H.S., Hamilton, Ohio; Purcell H.S., Cincinnati; St. James H.S., Chester, Pa.; and Riordan H.S., San Francisco.
He is presently retired and living in the Marianist community in Cupertino, Calif.
Father Conlon was born in Manhattan and grew up in Queens. He attended St. Margaret’s School, Middle Village; Bishop Loughlin M.H.S., Fort Greene; the University of Dayton; Marianist Seminary, Fribourg, Switzerland; and Loyola University, Chicago.
He professed first vows in 1954 in Marcy, N.Y., and was ordained a priest in Fribourg on March 25, 1966.
He taught at Cathedral Latin in Cleveland; Chaminade H.S., Mineola, L.I.; Chaminade H.S., Hollywood, Fla; and the University of Dayton, 1988-2013, where he also was director of campus ministry for 10 years.
He is currently retired and living with the Marianist community in Cupertino, Calif.
Father McGrath was born in Brooklyn and attended St. Mary’s School, Manhasset, L.I., and Chaminade H.S., Mineola, L.I.He went on to the University of Dayton; Ohio State University; the University of Fribourg, Switzerland; Catholic University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; and the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto, where he earned his Ph.D. in historical theology in 1979.
He professed first vows in Marcy, N.Y., in 1954 and was ordained a priest in Fribourg on March 26, 1966.
He taught at Chaminade H.S., Dayton; Chaminade H.S., Mineola, L.I., 1959-62; and then served as provincial assistant for religious life, director of the Marianist community at Cardinal Gibbons H.S. and provincial for the New York Province.
He later taught at the University of Dayton and was director of the Marianist community in Washington, D.C.
He is currently retired and living at Chaminade Nilaya, Bangalore, India, where he serves as assistant district superior of the Marianists in India.