Fr. John Baptist Palm, 95, died September 8, 2009 in Regis Infirmary, Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, Los Gatos. He was an ordained priest for 68 years and a Jesuit for 65. Originally of the California Province, he became a member of the China Province in 1958.
John Palm was born in Baltimore, MD on April 30, 1914, the son of William Palm and Katherine Gallagher Palm. He was the fifth child in a family of thirteen children, having eight brothers and four sisters. In 1929 he entered St. Charles Preparatory Seminary to study for the diocesan priesthood. After completing philosophy studies at St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, he studied theology at the North American College in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1941 by Archbishop Michael J. Curley of Baltimore and was assigned as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Bethesda, MD.
During World War II, China missionary Paul O’Brien, S.J., while serving as secretary to exiled Nanjing Archbishop Paul Yu Pin in Washington, D.C., resided at Our Lady of Lourdes. John developed a desire to serve as a missionary and Paul related this to California Provincial Joseph King, who accepted John into the Society at Sacred Heart Novitiate, Los Gatos on October 31, 1944, with the intention of going to China. During his novitiate he reviewed philosophy at Mount St. Michael’s, Spokane, and theology at Alma College, Los Gatos, where he pronounced his first vows in 1946. He remained at Alma for the next year and made Tertianship at Auriesville, NY, 1947-48. He pronounced his final vows in Hsinchu, Taiwan in 1954.
In the summer of 1948, he sailed to Shanghai and studied both Mandarin and Shanghai Chinese. In 1950 he began parish ministry at Christ the King Church, Shanghai. He served both English and Chinese speaking parishioners there until his arrest by the Communists on the night of June 15, 1953. Of the five American Jesuits at the parish, three (Thomas Phillips, John Houle, and Jack Clifford) were taken to jail, while John and Joseph Gatz were placed under house arrest. Gatz and Palm were expelled from Shanghai on July 26, 1953 in what John termed “an inglorious exit,” arriving in Hong Kong three days later.
John then went to Hsinchu, Taiwan, where he served as assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Church while studying Amoy Chinese. With the exception of a brief period as mission promoter in San Francisco (1960-61) and a sabbatical year (1979-80), he remained in Hsinchu until 2003 as assistant pastor. For many years he worked with the parish’s social outreach. “I have charge of the city’s Taiwanese poor,” he wrote in the mid-fifties, noting “There are 2500 families on the official list.” These and the many not reported received aid under his direction. He also served as director of the Apostleship of Prayer, and later was named promoter of the Charismatic Renewal Movement in Taiwan.
He would return to the US on a regular basis to visit family in the East and to work in parishes in California, where he was much beloved by the parishioners. One wrote to Fr. General Kolvenbach in 2002 praising him: “I am prompted to write you about our wonderful visiting priest…He comes here once a year to escape the oppressive heat and humidity of Taiwan. At over 80 he is steady, healthy, alert, says Mass every morning in our chapel and renders a fine and pertinent sermon every day and has a good sense of humor.” Finally, failing health brought him to Regis Infirmary, Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in 2004.
John had a very strong devotion to the Canadian born stigmatic Rose Ferron of Woonsocket, RI. He was very active in promoting her cause for beatification and produced several books about her. At one point, at the insistence of the Bishop of Providence, John’s superiors forbade him to spread the devotion. John obeyed the directive despite the interior suffering it caused him. Later, the ban was lifted.
John was a pious and zealous priest. He had a pleasant personality and a good sense of humor, which was apparent in his ministry and retirement. May he rest in peace.
From Province Vineyard magazine
John Palm was born in Baltimore, MD on April 30, 1914, the son of William Palm and Katherine Gallagher Palm. He was the fifth child in a family of thirteen children, having eight brothers and four sisters. In 1929 he entered St. Charles Preparatory Seminary to study for the diocesan priesthood. After completing philosophy studies at St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, he studied theology at the North American College in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1941 by Archbishop Michael J. Curley of Baltimore and was assigned as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Bethesda, MD.
During World War II, China missionary Paul O’Brien, S.J., while serving as secretary to exiled Nanjing Archbishop Paul Yu Pin in Washington, D.C., resided at Our Lady of Lourdes. John developed a desire to serve as a missionary and Paul related this to California Provincial Joseph King, who accepted John into the Society at Sacred Heart Novitiate, Los Gatos on October 31, 1944, with the intention of going to China. During his novitiate he reviewed philosophy at Mount St. Michael’s, Spokane, and theology at Alma College, Los Gatos, where he pronounced his first vows in 1946. He remained at Alma for the next year and made Tertianship at Auriesville, NY, 1947-48. He pronounced his final vows in Hsinchu, Taiwan in 1954.
In the summer of 1948, he sailed to Shanghai and studied both Mandarin and Shanghai Chinese. In 1950 he began parish ministry at Christ the King Church, Shanghai. He served both English and Chinese speaking parishioners there until his arrest by the Communists on the night of June 15, 1953. Of the five American Jesuits at the parish, three (Thomas Phillips, John Houle, and Jack Clifford) were taken to jail, while John and Joseph Gatz were placed under house arrest. Gatz and Palm were expelled from Shanghai on July 26, 1953 in what John termed “an inglorious exit,” arriving in Hong Kong three days later.
John then went to Hsinchu, Taiwan, where he served as assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Church while studying Amoy Chinese. With the exception of a brief period as mission promoter in San Francisco (1960-61) and a sabbatical year (1979-80), he remained in Hsinchu until 2003 as assistant pastor. For many years he worked with the parish’s social outreach. “I have charge of the city’s Taiwanese poor,” he wrote in the mid-fifties, noting “There are 2500 families on the official list.” These and the many not reported received aid under his direction. He also served as director of the Apostleship of Prayer, and later was named promoter of the Charismatic Renewal Movement in Taiwan.
He would return to the US on a regular basis to visit family in the East and to work in parishes in California, where he was much beloved by the parishioners. One wrote to Fr. General Kolvenbach in 2002 praising him: “I am prompted to write you about our wonderful visiting priest…He comes here once a year to escape the oppressive heat and humidity of Taiwan. At over 80 he is steady, healthy, alert, says Mass every morning in our chapel and renders a fine and pertinent sermon every day and has a good sense of humor.” Finally, failing health brought him to Regis Infirmary, Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in 2004.
John had a very strong devotion to the Canadian born stigmatic Rose Ferron of Woonsocket, RI. He was very active in promoting her cause for beatification and produced several books about her. At one point, at the insistence of the Bishop of Providence, John’s superiors forbade him to spread the devotion. John obeyed the directive despite the interior suffering it caused him. Later, the ban was lifted.
John was a pious and zealous priest. He had a pleasant personality and a good sense of humor, which was apparent in his ministry and retirement. May he rest in peace.
From Province Vineyard magazine
Fr. John Baptist Palm, 95, died September 8, 2009 in Regis Infirmary, Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, Los Gatos. He was an ordained priest for 68 years and a Jesuit for 65. Originally of the California Province, he became a member of the China Province in 1958.
John Palm was born in Baltimore, MD on April 30, 1914, the son of William Palm and Katherine Gallagher Palm. He was the fifth child in a family of thirteen children, having eight brothers and four sisters. In 1929 he entered St. Charles Preparatory Seminary to study for the diocesan priesthood. After completing philosophy studies at St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, he studied theology at the North American College in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1941 by Archbishop Michael J. Curley of Baltimore and was assigned as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Bethesda, MD.
During World War II, China missionary Paul O’Brien, S.J., while serving as secretary to exiled Nanjing Archbishop Paul Yu Pin in Washington, D.C., resided at Our Lady of Lourdes. John developed a desire to serve as a missionary and Paul related this to California Provincial Joseph King, who accepted John into the Society at Sacred Heart Novitiate, Los Gatos on October 31, 1944, with the intention of going to China. During his novitiate he reviewed philosophy at Mount St. Michael’s, Spokane, and theology at Alma College, Los Gatos, where he pronounced his first vows in 1946. He remained at Alma for the next year and made Tertianship at Auriesville, NY, 1947-48. He pronounced his final vows in Hsinchu, Taiwan in 1954.
In the summer of 1948, he sailed to Shanghai and studied both Mandarin and Shanghai Chinese. In 1950 he began parish ministry at Christ the King Church, Shanghai. He served both English and Chinese speaking parishioners there until his arrest by the Communists on the night of June 15, 1953. Of the five American Jesuits at the parish, three (Thomas Phillips, John Houle, and Jack Clifford) were taken to jail, while John and Joseph Gatz were placed under house arrest. Gatz and Palm were expelled from Shanghai on July 26, 1953 in what John termed “an inglorious exit,” arriving in Hong Kong three days later.
John then went to Hsinchu, Taiwan, where he served as assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Church while studying Amoy Chinese. With the exception of a brief period as mission promoter in San Francisco (1960-61) and a sabbatical year (1979-80), he remained in Hsinchu until 2003 as assistant pastor. For many years he worked with the parish’s social outreach. “I have charge of the city’s Taiwanese poor,” he wrote in the mid-fifties, noting “There are 2500 families on the official list.” These and the many not reported received aid under his direction. He also served as director of the Apostleship of Prayer, and later was named promoter of the Charismatic Renewal Movement in Taiwan.
He would return to the US on a regular basis to visit family in the East and to work in parishes in California, where he was much beloved by the parishioners. One wrote to Fr. General Kolvenbach in 2002 praising him: “I am prompted to write you about our wonderful visiting priest…He comes here once a year to escape the oppressive heat and humidity of Taiwan. At over 80 he is steady, healthy, alert, says Mass every morning in our chapel and renders a fine and pertinent sermon every day and has a good sense of humor.” Finally, failing health brought him to Regis Infirmary, Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in 2004.
John had a very strong devotion to the Canadian born stigmatic Rose Ferron of Woonsocket, RI. He was very active in promoting her cause for beatification and produced several books about her. At one point, at the insistence of the Bishop of Providence, John’s superiors forbade him to spread the devotion. John obeyed the directive despite the interior suffering it caused him. Later, the ban was lifted.
John was a pious and zealous priest. He had a pleasant personality and a good sense of humor, which was apparent in his ministry and retirement. May he rest in peace.
From Province Vineyard magazine
John Palm was born in Baltimore, MD on April 30, 1914, the son of William Palm and Katherine Gallagher Palm. He was the fifth child in a family of thirteen children, having eight brothers and four sisters. In 1929 he entered St. Charles Preparatory Seminary to study for the diocesan priesthood. After completing philosophy studies at St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, he studied theology at the North American College in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1941 by Archbishop Michael J. Curley of Baltimore and was assigned as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Bethesda, MD.
During World War II, China missionary Paul O’Brien, S.J., while serving as secretary to exiled Nanjing Archbishop Paul Yu Pin in Washington, D.C., resided at Our Lady of Lourdes. John developed a desire to serve as a missionary and Paul related this to California Provincial Joseph King, who accepted John into the Society at Sacred Heart Novitiate, Los Gatos on October 31, 1944, with the intention of going to China. During his novitiate he reviewed philosophy at Mount St. Michael’s, Spokane, and theology at Alma College, Los Gatos, where he pronounced his first vows in 1946. He remained at Alma for the next year and made Tertianship at Auriesville, NY, 1947-48. He pronounced his final vows in Hsinchu, Taiwan in 1954.
In the summer of 1948, he sailed to Shanghai and studied both Mandarin and Shanghai Chinese. In 1950 he began parish ministry at Christ the King Church, Shanghai. He served both English and Chinese speaking parishioners there until his arrest by the Communists on the night of June 15, 1953. Of the five American Jesuits at the parish, three (Thomas Phillips, John Houle, and Jack Clifford) were taken to jail, while John and Joseph Gatz were placed under house arrest. Gatz and Palm were expelled from Shanghai on July 26, 1953 in what John termed “an inglorious exit,” arriving in Hong Kong three days later.
John then went to Hsinchu, Taiwan, where he served as assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Church while studying Amoy Chinese. With the exception of a brief period as mission promoter in San Francisco (1960-61) and a sabbatical year (1979-80), he remained in Hsinchu until 2003 as assistant pastor. For many years he worked with the parish’s social outreach. “I have charge of the city’s Taiwanese poor,” he wrote in the mid-fifties, noting “There are 2500 families on the official list.” These and the many not reported received aid under his direction. He also served as director of the Apostleship of Prayer, and later was named promoter of the Charismatic Renewal Movement in Taiwan.
He would return to the US on a regular basis to visit family in the East and to work in parishes in California, where he was much beloved by the parishioners. One wrote to Fr. General Kolvenbach in 2002 praising him: “I am prompted to write you about our wonderful visiting priest…He comes here once a year to escape the oppressive heat and humidity of Taiwan. At over 80 he is steady, healthy, alert, says Mass every morning in our chapel and renders a fine and pertinent sermon every day and has a good sense of humor.” Finally, failing health brought him to Regis Infirmary, Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in 2004.
John had a very strong devotion to the Canadian born stigmatic Rose Ferron of Woonsocket, RI. He was very active in promoting her cause for beatification and produced several books about her. At one point, at the insistence of the Bishop of Providence, John’s superiors forbade him to spread the devotion. John obeyed the directive despite the interior suffering it caused him. Later, the ban was lifted.
John was a pious and zealous priest. He had a pleasant personality and a good sense of humor, which was apparent in his ministry and retirement. May he rest in peace.
From Province Vineyard magazine
