Document Type

Finding Aid

Collection Date

1945-1993

Finding Aid Date

9-17-2015

Identifier

MS Barry JH

Description

All physical materials associated with the New England Province Archive are currently held by the Jesuit Archives in St. Louis, MO. Any inquiries about these materials should be directed to Jesuit Archives. Electronic versions of some items and the descriptions and finding aids to the Archives, which are hosted in CrossWorks, are provided only as a courtesy.

James Henry Barry was born in the Roxbury section of Boston, the son of James H. and Caroline (Gately) Barry. He has two sisters and two brothers, one of whom, Paul, also became a Jesuit priest. He graduated from Boston College High School in 1929 and entered the Society at the “old” Shadowbrook the same year. After Philosophy at (also “the old”) Weston College, he taught at Boston College High School for a year, returned to Weston for Theology and ordination, did Tertianship at Pomfret, CT, then in 1942 became one of the “Founding Fathers” at Fairfield Prep, also in CT. He taught there from 1942 to 1950, serving also as a spiritual director. In 1950 he went to the Jamaica Mission as pastor of a parish in Kingston for three years, then became Secretary to the then Bishop and Chancellor of the Kingston Diocese. From 1956 to ’58 he was pastor of a major parish in the city and vice-chancellor of the Diocese. He was superior of the entire Jamaica Mission from 1958 to’64, then became pastor of parishes in Kingston and St. Ann’s Bay until 1979. He built a new church at Ocho Rios during this time. He returned to Boston in 1979 to become Director of the Province’s Deferred Giving program, and continued this work until 1982 when medical problems required him to relocate to Campion Center in Weston. He continued to be involved in pastoral work at parishes, nursing homes, and convents in the vicinity until declining health obliged him to cut back on outside activities. He continued to serve as a spiritual director in Campion Center until further health setbacks required that he enter the Health Center at Campion. Fr. Barry died in a Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston on January 4th, 2000 at the age of 88. He is buried in the Jesuit Cemetery at Campion Center, Weston, MA.

This collection of personal papers contains sermons, homilies, talks, retreats, prayers and some related published material related to his pastoral work. The materials date from 1945 to 1993 with the bulk of the material from 1970 to 1985.

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