Fr. Jay Walsh, CSB died peacefully on September 18, 2022. He was 87 years old and has been a member of the Congregation of St. Basil (the Basilian Fathers) for 65 years. Fr. Walsh has served as a Roman Catholic priest for 56 years.
Fr. Jay Francis Walsh was born in Rochester, New York on August 30, 1935 to Francis E. Walsh and Irene Donovan. He attended the Aquinas Institute, where he first met the Basilian Fathers. After high school, Fr. Walsh worked for several years at the Eastman Kodak Company, before entering the Congregation of St. Basil and professing his first vows on Sept. 12, 1957. He earned an undergraduate degree in English and Philosophy from Assumption University in Windsor, Ontario. Fr. Walsh continued his education and earned a master's degree in Education from the University of Rochester as well as a bachelor's degree in Sacred Theology from the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto, Ontario. He was ordained a priest on December 11, 1965 and began teaching English Literature at his alma mater, the Aquinas Institute.
After several years in the classroom, Fr. Walsh began ministering in parishes. He served as parochial vicar of St. Anne Catholic Church in Houston, pastor of St. Basil Catholic Church in Angleton, and Holy Family Catholic Church in Missouri City. He also spent several years serving at parishes in Canada before returning to Houston and St. Anne Catholic Church. Fr. Jay always enjoyed visiting the students of St. Anne Catholic school. He loved blessing pets on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi and celebrating the children’s Mass on Christmas Eve. Fr. Walsh enjoyed reciting poetry and singing. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and he could always be counted on for a good joke. Fr. Walsh was preceded in death by his parents, brother and sister-in-law. He is mourned by his Basilian brothers and the many people whom he served over the years. Special thanks to Tom Speiers, the many other parishioners, and the Village of Southampton who cared for him.
A rosary and vigil will be held at St. Anne Catholic Church on Thursday, September 22 at 6 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Anne Catholic Church on Friday, September 23 at 6 p.m. Burial will occur at Forest Park Cemetery, Lawndale on Saturday, September 24 at 10 a.m.
Staff note: Guests who wish to attend the graveside committal should gather in the front parking lot at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale St. Houston, TX. At 9:45 a.m. a driver will lead the guests in procession from the front parking lot of Forest Park Lawndale to his gravesite at Lawndale for the committal.
Color coded way-finding arrows provided by Lawndale will indicate his plot location. A color for Father Jay will be shown on the screen at the cemetery entrance.