The Missionaries of the Precious Blood announce the 65th anniversary of the ordination of Fr. James McCabe, C.PP.S.
Fr. McCabe, 91, a native of Newcastle, Neb., entered the Congregation in 1945 at Brunnerdale, the Missionaries’ former high school seminary near Canton, Ohio. He was ordained on June 1, 1958. In his years as a priest, he has been involved in parish ministry, college administration and leadership of the Congregation.
Fr. McCabe served briefly in parishes after his ordination, then became an instructor at St. Charles Seminary in Carthagena, Ohio, from 1961-1965. During that time he also served as archivist for the Congregation. In 1965, he became the librarian of Saint Joseph’s College in Rensseleaer, Ind., which is sponsored by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. He was instrumental in the growth of another college sponsored by the Missionaries, Calumet College of St. Joseph in Hammond, Ind., where he served first as executive vice president beginning in 1973, then president from 1975–81.
Fr. McCabe returned to parish work in 1982. He served as pastor of St. Mary of the Woods Church in McQuady, Ky., and Immaculate Conception Church in Hawesville, Ky.
In 1987, Fr. McCabe was named pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Celina, Ohio, where he served until 1992, when he was named secretary for the Cincinnati Province. He also served the province as its personnel director, and was a member of its senate. During this time, Fr. McCabe helped found the Amici, a group of former members and students of the C.PP.S. He served as Amici coordinator from 1987 to 2005.
In 1997, Fr. McCabe was assigned to the Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Bellevue, Ohio; he was named director of the shrine in 2000, where he served until his retirement in 2001.
In 2002, Fr. McCabe retired to St. Charles Center in Carthagena, Ohio, where he helped at local parishes as long as he was able.
Fr. McCabe has a genial manner and in parish life, generally led by consensus. As a pastor, he was a good listener and effective preacher, often including in his homilies his own foibles, which drew smiles from the pews. Yet he had a powerful intellect and organizational skills. His nickname in the Congregation, given to him while still at Brunnerdale, was Dux (leader).
His is a lifelong love of books—he learned the trade of bookbinding while a student at St. Charles and pursued it as a hobby later in life.
Devoted to his family and the Community, Fr. McCabe always knew how to make connections with others, and keep them connected.