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OBITUARY
Reverend James C. Meade |
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The Reverend James C. Meade, a priest for over 50 years
who served in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, died
January 26, 2005. He was 81 years old.
The oldest of six children of the late James R. and
Katherine Ford Meade, James Charles Meade was born on
May 9, 1922 in Bellerose. He attended Our Lady of
Victory School in Floral Park, and Cathedral Boy’s High
School in New York City before entering Manhattan
College in 1940. He transferred the next year to Queens
College. With the start of World War II, he entered the
military and flew seven missions as a navigator on a
B-17 Flying Fortress before being shot down on August
27, 1943. He spent the next two years as a prisoner of
war in a German prison camp. He received the
Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal for his
service.
He decided to enter the priesthood after his experiences
during the war. His younger sister, Jane Maloney, told
The Long Island Catholic in 2002 that her brother had
already talked about the priesthood as well as Africa
while he was in high school. He studied for the
priesthood at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
and the White Fathers Scholasticate in Ottawa.
Father Meade was ordained a priest for the Society of
Missionaries of Africa, also known as the White Fathers,
by Archbishop Alexander Vachon on January 27, 1952 in
Ottawa, Canada. In addition to his years as a missionary
in Africa, Father Meade also served as an editor of the
White Fathers magazine.
Father Meade contracted Malaria, and after 20 years of
traveling back and forth to Africa he decided to stay on
Long Island and become a parish priest.
He was first assigned as an associate pastor to Blessed
Sacrament Church in Valley Stream in December of 1972.
The next year he became an associate pastor at SS Cyril
and Methodius Church in Deer Park. Using the skills he
developed in his time with the White Fathers, he served
as an associate editor for the parish publication,
Parish Life. Father Meade also worked with Marriage
Encounter, the Cursillo Movement and Charismatic Renewal
in his seven years at SS. Cyril and Methodius.
He was incardinated into the diocese and became a priest
of the Diocese of Rockville Centre on May 6, 1977.
Father Meade was transferred in 1978 to Christ the King
Church in Commack where he served as an associate
pastor. A year later he became an associate pastor at
Corpus Christi parish in Mineola.
In 1985, Father Meade returned to Valley Stream, this
time as an associate pastor at Holy Name of Mary Church.
He retired in 1992 and continued to live at the parish
until 1995 when he moved to Queen of Peace Residence in
Queens Village after developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Father Bruce Powers who was assigned to SS. Cyril and
Methodius with Father Meade told The Long Island
Catholic in 2002 that Father Meade spoke fluent French
and several African dialects and did the daily and
Sunday crossword puzzles in The New York Times.
A wake for Father Meade will be held at Queen of Peace
Residence in Queens Village from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on January 27.
Bishop Emil Wcela will preside at a Mass of Christian
Burial on Friday, January 28 at 10:30 a.m. at Queen of
Peace Residence. Father Bruce Powers will be the
homilist. Burial will at Long Island National Cemetery
in Pinelawn.
Father Meade is survived by a sister, Jane Maloney, and
a brother, Thomas.
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