 Fr. Reginald John Mitchell, OP
John Mitchell was born on June 30, 1904 in Ellensburg, Washington and attended the local
grammar and high schools of that city. He
attended St. Mary’s College in California and St. Martin’s College at Lacey,
Washington. He received the habit for the
province of the Holy Name at St. Rose, Kentucky on September 8, 1925 and made his first
profession there one year later. His final
vows were professed at Benicia on September 10, 1929.
Father Mitchell was sent abroad
for further education, spending one year at the Angelicum in Rome and three years at
Blackfriars, Oxford, England. He was ordained
at Oxford on May 30, 1931 and received a lectorate in Sacred Theology there in 1933. He returned to serve as professor and Master of
Students for two years at St. Albert’s College,
Oakland.
He suffered from poor health most of his life, and spent the remainder of his years in
convalescence and light duties. He was
assigned to Antioch, Seattle, and Benicia. In
1949 he moved to Kentfield where he served many years as procurator and sacristan. His last year was spent with his sister in
Ellensburg where he received good care after recuperating from several heart attacks. He died at St. Elizabeth’s hospital in Yakima,
Washington on January 18, 1970. He is buried
at St. Dominic’s cemetery, Benicia, California. |
