Feast of Daniel J. Harrington (February 7)

Above:  Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Image in the Public Domain

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DANIEL “DAN” J. HARRINGTON (JULY 1, 1940-FEBRUARY 7, 2014)

U.S. Roman Catholic Priest and Biblical Scholar

Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses:  An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via The New Interpreter’s Bible, for which he wrote an article, “Introduction to the Canon,” for Volume I (1994).

Harrington seemed born to be a scholar.  He, born in Arlington, Massachusetts, on July 19, 1940, graduated from high school in 1958 then joined the Society of Jesus before the end of the year.  He graduated from Weston College, Cambridge, Massachusetts (B.A. in Classics, 1964; M.A. in Philosophy, 1965), and from Harvard University (Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages, 1970).  Then Harrington earned his M.Div. from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (1971).  Our saint taught at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Mundelein, Illinois, in 1971-1972.  Then he joined the faculty of Weston Jesuit School of Theology in 1972, as Professor of the New Testament.  Harrington, ordained a priest in 1971, remained on faculty there for the rest of this life.  (The seminary became part of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in 2008.)

Harrington, a scholar and a gentleman, wrote much.  He, while carrying full course loads, chaired the Biblical Studies Department at Weston, and somehow found time to sleep.  He edited New Testament Abstracts (to which he had contributed from 1962 to 1971 and of which he had been the Assistant Editor from 1971 to 1972) from 1972 to late 2013.  Our saint also wrote about 60 books, about 225 articles and essays, more than 250 book reviews, and more than 150 essays for America magazine.  Furthermore, Harrington edited the 18 volumes of the Sacra Pagina commentaries on the New Testament (1988-2007).

Harrington also had parish responsibilities.  He was an associate priest at St. Agnes Church, Arlington, Massachusetts (1971-2013); and at St. Peter’s Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1991-2013).

Our saint fought cancer during his final years.  He, aged 73 years, died on February 7, 2014, during what he had announced would be his final academic year at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.  He had spent his life serving God and doing what he loved to do.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF FREDERICK J. MURPHY, U.S. ROMAN CATHOLIC BIBLICAL SCHOLAR

THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCISCUS CH’OE KYONG-HWAN, KOREAN ROMAN CATHOLIC CATECHIST AND MARTYR, 1839; SAINTS LAWRENCE MARY JOSEPH IMBERT, PIERRE PHILIBERT MAUBANT, AND JACQUES HONORÉ CHASTÁN, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS, MISSIONARIES TO KOREA, AND MARTYRS, 1839; SAINT PAUL CHONG HASANG, KOREAN ROMAN CATHOLIC SEMINARIAN, AND MARTYR, 1839; AND SAINTS CECILIA YU SOSA AND JUNG HYE, KOREAN ROMAN CATHOLIC MARYTRS, 1839

THE FEAST OF KASPAR BIENEMANN, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER

THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JOSIAH IRONS, ANGLICAN PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR; AND HIS DAUGHTER, GENEVIEVE MARY IRONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC HYMN WRITER

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O God, you have endowed us with memory, reason, and skill.

We thank you for the faithful legacy of [Daniel J. Harrington and all others]

who have dedicated their lives to you and to the intellectual pursuits.

May we, like them, respect your gift of intelligence fully and to your glory.

In the Name of God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Psalm 103

Philippians 4:8-9

Mark 12:28-34

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

MARCH 6, 2013 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT CHRODEGANG OF METZ, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP

THE FEAST OF EDMUND KING, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF LINCOLN

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