 Fr. Joachim John Walsh, OP
John Walsh was born in Mojave,
California on December 8, 1897 to Michael Haggerty and Bridget Walsh Haggerty. His parents died in his infancy and he went to
live with his aunt and uncle, taking their last name, Walsh, around the age of 10. After one year at St. Mary’s College in
Oakland, he entered the novitiate and took the name Joachim. In addition to the standard formation courses, he
also took courses in history and economics at Catholic University of America. He was ordained, on June 14, 1923, then went to
study at the University of Fribourg, in Switzerland for two years. He hoped to
receive a Ph.D. in Church History, and began to write his dissertation on the vows from
biblical times to the time of St. Thomas, highlighting continuities. However, after a year it was clear that two years
would not be enough time to finish his dissertation, so he spent the remainder of his time
in Switzerland studying theology, French and German.
Upon his return, he was appointed a
professor at Kentfield and soon moved to Benicia, California. There he was professor
of Summa, Apologetics and Moral Theology and soon became Prior. After St. Albert’s was built, he moved in and taught
Theology, Ecclesial History and also taught at Mission San Jose. In 1936 he became Socius to Provincial Callahan.
After
being Pastor and Superior of St. Vincent’s in Vallejo, Fr. Walsh did retreat work for
the next decade, traveling throughout the Province. His
last assignment was in Seattle where he was the Librarian. During this assignment,
he was elected Socius for the 1956 General Chapter in Calaruega. He died in St.
Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco on March 8, 1962.
An excerpt
from a letter by Fr. Joachim John Walsh, OP, to Fr. A.L. McMahon, OP, sent from Fribourg,
Switzerland on November 20, 1925.
“I have often thought that it
was a shame that a real history of the Province has not been attempted before this. The task will not become lighter as time goes on.
It is too bad that some of us, Father Bohan or Allen or McDonnell or perhaps myself
did not go to Spain to look up some of the things
there that can be found concerning the origins of the Mexican Province and its relation
with Lower and Upper California. I remember
reading in Englehardt’s Mission and Missionaries the names of Dominicans
that had dealings with the Franciscan Missions, San Diego, for example, whose names are
merely names. I say that it is too bad that
their memory should be lost especially when the tradition exists that at one time we were
supposed to supplant the Franciscans in their own missions."
An excerpt
from a letter to Fr. Walsh OP, from Fr. McMahon, OP on December 15, 1925.
“These, the studies and the
method too, will help you very much in the preparation that you should always be making to
put before the minds of educated non-Catholics the fruits of your long philosophical and
theological studies. Knowing your subjects well and having a mastery of English you
should be able to do a great deal of good. Educated
non-Catholics are convinced that we are lacking in scholarship, perhaps, because we do not
give evidences of the knowledge that is in us, or, at any rate, because we do not give
evidences that they can recognized. Really we must be accused ourselves of not
understanding the cultivated non-Catholic mind and of not being able to express in our
learning in terms and in a way that will appeal to such.. And we are certainly not getting
adequate returns from our long years of philosophical and theological studies. I am hoping that while you are deepening and
broadening your knowledge of theology and philosophy you are also considering how you will
make use of it in the future, and with the future in view, with all its possibilities,
that you are trying to perfect yourself in English literature. I regret you are not coming with a degree.
Fr. Gabisch began years ago to direct
his studies, in so far as he could, so that he would be able to adapt St. Thomas to
American minds.
Our foundations close to the
University of Washington in Seattle and to the University of California in Berkeley were
made with a view to exerting an influence upon professors and students at both
institutions. You may have read in the Acts of the last General Chapter that ordinance
relating to the efforts we should make to get into the chairs of universities, even into
those of state universities. One of the
keenest for this was Father Getino, Provincial of Spain, who discussed the subject with me
one day when he told me that the Order has
had more than 3000 professors in universities.
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