The Mighty Quinn: Monsignor Reflects on His First 60 Years in the Priesthood
Monsignor Liam Quinn reminisces as his 60th anniversary in the priesthood approaches.
“It was never a dull moment” on the family farm in Ireland and oftentimes as a priest here in the Garden State, the former pastor and now priest-in-residence at St. Paul Church muses.
“Dad was in the cattle business in Longford,” Quinn says. So, he and his siblings – nine other boys and three girls – grew up “milking, feeding and doing all that entailed care for cows” and more on the Quinn’s farm in Ireland’s midlands. This familiarity with animals led Quinn to seriously consider a career as a veterinarian even as he pondered entering the priesthood.
“The Lord took over on that one!” he quips.
The clergyman attended St. Patrick’s Seminary (now Carlow College, St. Patrick’s) in Carlow and was ordained in that Irish town on June 9, 1962. Quinn originally intended to serve as a priest in Africa but reconsidered and came to the United States instead, he says.
Ironically, Quinn’s first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Monica Church in Atlantic City, where he served from 1962 through 1964. Parishioners at St. Monica were predominantly African-Americans who welcomed him warmly and taught him a lot about their culture. “There was no diversity in Ireland at the time,” Quinn says. Neither were there casinos nor the Atlantic City Expressway, the monsignor recollects. His parishioners lived in “close-knit, neighborhood communities,” he adds. “St. Monica’s was a very enjoyable assignment.”
Quinn’s voyage to America from Ireland offered him other insights. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the RMS Mauretania. “Having read and heard immigrant stories from the 17th and 18th centuries, I could identify with these earlier immigrants,” Quinn reflects. “I understand the plight of immigrants. Nobody wants to leave his homeland. It’s usually a necessity” due to persecution or the need to find work in order to survive and possibly support a family, he adds.
“The country welcomed us with open arms,” the monsignor recalls of his immigration experience. “Hopefully we help immigrants today to find their way.”
Quinn was transferred to Gloucester’s St. Mary’s Church in 1964. Parishioners there included descendants of Irish immigrants. A lot of these “wonderful people” worked in Camden in the shipyards or at Campbell’s Soup or General Electric, the priest says. When the economy shifted and these places of employment closed, it was tough on parishioners who lost their jobs.
Despite those setbacks, St. Mary’s remained an “active parish” that included a grammar school and a high school, the clergyman reminisces. “It was a parish with lots of life to it!”
In 1969, as the counterculture movement caused unrest among young people nationwide, Quinn went from parish work to teaching theology at Camden Catholic High School. “I loved teaching. Teaching kept you abreast of what was happening in the culture and in the minds and hearts of young people,” says the monsignor. “Those were challenging and exciting times. Things were moving very fast. People were beginning to think for themselves.” On a sad note, Quinn remembers that those days also included the Vietnam War and its casualties among mostly working-class people. “I buried five veterans of Vietnam,” he laments.
Quinn was next named pastor of St. John of God Church in North Cape May in 1979. Being a pastor was a role that he never anticipated, the monsignor says.
St. John’s was then a newer parish in need of a church building. So, with considerable help from his congregation, Quinn led the effort to raise revenue and build that new church. Many of his parishioners at St. John’s were retired Philadelphia police officers and firefighters, along with families with young children. New concepts in Roman Catholicism, like parishioner-led parish and finance councils, were introduced around that time. When he incorporated these changes, he discovered that allowing people to lead ministries led to success in a parish.
“Collaboration is the secret to successful pastoring. We all have a share in the priesthood of Jesus Christ,” Quinn muses. “Where there’s collaboration in a church, the Holy Spirit moves freely and effectively.”
In his role as a pastor, the former farm youngster also determined that his wish to own dogs could finally come true. “I didn’t dare do that before then!” Quinn says mischievously.
Shortly after St. John of God Church was built, Quinn was transferred to St. Ann Church in Wildwood, where he served as pastor from 1985 through 2000. St. Ann Church was undergoing renovations in need of completion when Quinn arrived. Fundraising for those renovations included: money raffles and car raffles with tickets sold on Wildwood’s boardwalk, along with year-round bingo twice a week, the clergyman recalls. The growing casino industry, and its bus transportation to Atlantic City, put a nix on bingo, he adds.
Quinn came to Seven Mile Beach in 2000 as pastor of St. Paul Church, which sorely needed a parish hall. At the same time, Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School was being built in Cape May Court House. As a member of various Diocese of Camden boards, and as St. Paul’s new pastor, Quinn was chosen to oversee both the new regional school and the parish hall. Bishop McHugh (grammar school) opened in September of 2000. St. Paul’s Quinn Hall was completed in 2006. The monsignor never mentions that the parish hall bears his name.
“Monsignor Quinn is a very humble guy,” says Deacon Bob Dooley. “Priests and even deacons often get a lot of attention from parishioners. He’s not looking for that attention.”
Simply put, “Monsignor is a gentle man and a wonderful priest,” Dooley adds.
Before his retirement in 2009, and during another period of transition, Quinn represented Cape May County for the Diocese of Camden during Roman Catholic parish mergers. “It was a difficult time with people losing their parishes,” he says. “We were lucky here that our churches were not closed,” in part due to the summertime population. Stone Harbor’s St. Paul Church and Avalon’s Maris Stella Church merged as St. Brendan the Navigator Parish.
St. Brendan’s pastor, Father William Kelly, remains delighted that Quinn is still in town and active in parish life. “Monsignor is an invaluable mentor,” says Kelly. In some ways, Kelly is following in the monsignor’s footsteps as a pastor and as a Cape May County representative or dean for the Diocese of Camden’s deanery, he says. “Monsignor inspires, affirms and motivates me,” Kelly adds before noting Quinn’s perpetual willingness to be there for everybody, not just him. “That’s what people remember…that the priest was there for them,” the pastor notes.
Today, Quinn shares his home near St. Paul’s with his beloved pals, Micki and Emmet. “My dogs keep me young,” Quinn says cheerfully. “The only thing they do not want to do is go to church!” As for their monikers, Micki, a female, is named with Mickey Mouse in mind, he explains. Emmet is named after the historic “Irish patriot” Robert Emmet and in memory of the “Young Emmets,” Quinn’s youth football team. “I played a lot of football as a boy,” says the priest.
Even in retirement, the monsignor still says many a Mass and serves as celebrant at an occasional wedding or funeral. “Taking care of the people’s spiritual needs is always first and foremost,” Quinn says. “Walking with people during their ups and downs is very rewarding.”
Deacon Charlie Devlin marvels at Quinn’s way with people, his commitment to his vocation and his accomplishments. “Monsignor retired from active ministry in 2009, but has remained incredibly active,” Devlin notes. “He put his thumbprint on the church in this area.”
Well-wishers will celebrate Quinn’s 60th anniversary as a priest with him on Thursday, June 9, during a 3pm Mass at St. Paul Church in Stone Harbor. A reception honoring the monsignor will be held at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor immediately after Mass.
