 Fr. Robert Lawrence Lindsay, OP
Lawrence Lindsay was born at
Rutherford, California, on February 25, 1898. He was called "Chick"
Lindsay because he grew up near Petaluma, California, the chicken capitol of the world.
He attended public school in Santa Rosa, California, and later attended St.
Mary’s College, Oakland, and Aquinas College, Columbus, Ohio. He entered the
Order in Somerset, Ohio, on August 5, 1919, as a member of the Province of the Holy Name. His first profession was made on September 8,
1920, and he professed solemn vows at the Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C., on
September 8, 1923. He continued his studies in Washington, and then went to Louvain,
Belgium to complete his theology. He was ordained a priest on December 27, 1925, in
Malines, Belgium. Fr. Lindsay labored in our parishes in Berkeley, Benicia,
Portland, Pittsburg, and San Francisco. He served as
Chaplain for two years at Laguna Honda Home, San Francisco, and for ten years was
the beloved Chaplain of the Christian Brothers at Mont La Salle, Napa, California. He died in Benicia on February 3, 1969.
Excerpt from a letter by Fr. Robert
Lindsay, OP to Fr. A. L. McMahon, OP at
Louvain on January 21, 1926.
The
joys of Malines and Lisieux will but grow dearer to Father Maurice and myself in the
flight of time. I did not forget you in my First Mass before the sacred relics of the
Little Flower. On the feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus I offered up the holy Sacrifice
of the Mass for yourself and for the needs of the Province… My father’s people
up in Maybole, Scotland, felt quite disappointed because I chose Lisieux rather than the
little Catholic church in the town of my dear old father’s birthplace for the
celebration of my first Mass. Of course, the Little Flower won. While at Lisieux, we
enjoyed many privileges denied others. It was a great privilege, indeed, that Maurice and
I were permitted to talk with the Reverent mother Agnes of Jesus, S. Therese’s sister
Pauline, of whom the Little Flower tells so much in her beautiful autobiography. This is but one of the many favors we enjoyed there.
Excerpt from a letter by Fr.
Robert Lindsay, OP to Fr. A. L. McMahon, OP
at Louvain on October 17, 1926.
You may well imagine how happy I am to be able to say that the
very first public sermon of my life was preached in my father’s town, Maybole,
Scotland, on the feast of Our Lady’s Assumption, the seventh anniversary of my
reception of the Dominican habit. I preached
on two other occasions, also, while in Scotland. My father’s people there
received me very warmly, and made me feel as a member of the family at all times during
the pleasant days I passed among them. In
England and Ireland I found our Fathers most hospitable, especially those of Ireland. In both Provinces I feel that impressions were
made that will remain with me for good. I had my eyes and ears open to many little
things that you suggested to me during the few short minutes I was with you while on your
last visitation to this house. Again I feel that I owe you much for your kindness in
letting me spend my holidays as I did, and I am convinced that the time away from here was
used to good advantage.
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