Anthony Antoninus Jurgelaitis, O.P.

Anthony Antoninus Jurgelaitis, O.P.

Jubilarian

Birth: June 9, 1917

Profession: September 15, 1938

Ordination: June 7, 1944

Died: October 14, 2000

Anthony Joseph Jurgelaitis was born in South Boston, MA to Vincent and Anna (Zakarevitch) Jurgelaitis. He was educated at the Clinch School (1923-26) and Bigelow School (1926-30) and at Boston Public Latin High School in the Boston area. He attended Providence College, Providence, RI (1935-37). He entered the Novitiate of the Province of St. Joseph at St. Rose Priory, Springfield, KY where he received the religious name, Antoninus.  It was here a year later that he made his first profession.

Br. Antoninus began his philosophical studies at the Dominican House of Studies in River Forest, IL (1938-40) and completed them at St. Joseph’s Priory, Somerset, OH (1940-41). He spent the next 4 years of theology at the Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC (1941-45). Here he was ordained by Bishop Joseph Lemieux, O.P. of Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Before beginning his long and distinguished career at Providence College, he studied South American Studies at the Pontifical Catholic University in Lima, Peru where he received a Doctorate of Literature (1945-48). He also studied at the University of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic (1948-49). For the next 38 years he taught Spanish at P.C. (1949-87). During this time he gave many weekend retreats for the laity and Sisters as well as Lenten courses.

Being of Lithuanian descent, Fr. Tony prayed for the re-establishment of the Dominican Order in Lithuania and the Baltic States. His prayers were answered with the creation of the Baltic General Vicariate.

His last two years were spent at Scalabrini Villa Nursing Home in North Kingston, RI. He died at South County Hospital, Wakefield, RI.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory Chapel, Providence College, by Very Rev. Kevin Robb, Vicar Provincial and John F. Cunningham, O.P. preached the sermon. He was laid to rest in the Dominican Friars’ Cemetery on the campus.

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