Father Townsend was born on July 13, 1923, in Newark, New Jersey, to Ralph Van Lueven Townsend and Helene Alice Duffy. He converted to the Catholic faith at the age of sixteen, following his parents' example.
Having completed his primary and secondary education in the East Orange, New Jersey public school system, he entered the novitiate for the Order of Preachers in 1943, and made his solemn profession in 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood at St. Dominic Church in Washington, D.C., in 1950, by Bishop Edward Celestine Daly OP.
Townsend earned a B.S. in physics from Providence College in 1951 and two master of science degrees in Physics from The Catholic University of America in 1957, and the University of Connecticut in 1970. He taught physics at Providence College from 1954 till 1970, and then spent the next nineteen years teaching science and math at St. Rose High School in Belmar, New Jersey, and Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey. Fr. Townsend then began the second phase of his priestly ministry serving in various Catholic parishes staffed by the Dominican Order: St. Dominic in Detroit, Holy Name in Philadelphia, Sacred Heart in Jersey City and finally from July 2005 until his death at St. Louis Bertrand church in Louisville.
Father Ralph died on Sunday, March 6, 2011, at St. Louis Bertrand Priory aged 87. Mass of Christian Burial was offered on Thursday, March 10, at St. Louis Bertrand church with Monsignor Joseph E. Kurtz, Archbishop of Louisville as celebrant and Monsignor Thomas C. Kelly OP., Former Archbishop of Louisville, assisting. Fr. Townsend's body was laid to rest in the Dominican Cemetery at St. Rose church in Springfield, Kentucky, where he began his novitiate in 1943.
Having completed his primary and secondary education in the East Orange, New Jersey public school system, he entered the novitiate for the Order of Preachers in 1943, and made his solemn profession in 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood at St. Dominic Church in Washington, D.C., in 1950, by Bishop Edward Celestine Daly OP.
Townsend earned a B.S. in physics from Providence College in 1951 and two master of science degrees in Physics from The Catholic University of America in 1957, and the University of Connecticut in 1970. He taught physics at Providence College from 1954 till 1970, and then spent the next nineteen years teaching science and math at St. Rose High School in Belmar, New Jersey, and Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey. Fr. Townsend then began the second phase of his priestly ministry serving in various Catholic parishes staffed by the Dominican Order: St. Dominic in Detroit, Holy Name in Philadelphia, Sacred Heart in Jersey City and finally from July 2005 until his death at St. Louis Bertrand church in Louisville.
Father Ralph died on Sunday, March 6, 2011, at St. Louis Bertrand Priory aged 87. Mass of Christian Burial was offered on Thursday, March 10, at St. Louis Bertrand church with Monsignor Joseph E. Kurtz, Archbishop of Louisville as celebrant and Monsignor Thomas C. Kelly OP., Former Archbishop of Louisville, assisting. Fr. Townsend's body was laid to rest in the Dominican Cemetery at St. Rose church in Springfield, Kentucky, where he began his novitiate in 1943.
Father Townsend was born on July 13, 1923, in Newark, New Jersey, to Ralph Van Lueven Townsend and Helene Alice Duffy. He converted to the Catholic faith at the age of sixteen, following his parents' example.
Having completed his primary and secondary education in the East Orange, New Jersey public school system, he entered the novitiate for the Order of Preachers in 1943, and made his solemn profession in 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood at St. Dominic Church in Washington, D.C., in 1950, by Bishop Edward Celestine Daly OP.
Townsend earned a B.S. in physics from Providence College in 1951 and two master of science degrees in Physics from The Catholic University of America in 1957, and the University of Connecticut in 1970. He taught physics at Providence College from 1954 till 1970, and then spent the next nineteen years teaching science and math at St. Rose High School in Belmar, New Jersey, and Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey. Fr. Townsend then began the second phase of his priestly ministry serving in various Catholic parishes staffed by the Dominican Order: St. Dominic in Detroit, Holy Name in Philadelphia, Sacred Heart in Jersey City and finally from July 2005 until his death at St. Louis Bertrand church in Louisville.
Father Ralph died on Sunday, March 6, 2011, at St. Louis Bertrand Priory aged 87. Mass of Christian Burial was offered on Thursday, March 10, at St. Louis Bertrand church with Monsignor Joseph E. Kurtz, Archbishop of Louisville as celebrant and Monsignor Thomas C. Kelly OP., Former Archbishop of Louisville, assisting. Fr. Townsend's body was laid to rest in the Dominican Cemetery at St. Rose church in Springfield, Kentucky, where he began his novitiate in 1943.
Having completed his primary and secondary education in the East Orange, New Jersey public school system, he entered the novitiate for the Order of Preachers in 1943, and made his solemn profession in 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood at St. Dominic Church in Washington, D.C., in 1950, by Bishop Edward Celestine Daly OP.
Townsend earned a B.S. in physics from Providence College in 1951 and two master of science degrees in Physics from The Catholic University of America in 1957, and the University of Connecticut in 1970. He taught physics at Providence College from 1954 till 1970, and then spent the next nineteen years teaching science and math at St. Rose High School in Belmar, New Jersey, and Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey. Fr. Townsend then began the second phase of his priestly ministry serving in various Catholic parishes staffed by the Dominican Order: St. Dominic in Detroit, Holy Name in Philadelphia, Sacred Heart in Jersey City and finally from July 2005 until his death at St. Louis Bertrand church in Louisville.
Father Ralph died on Sunday, March 6, 2011, at St. Louis Bertrand Priory aged 87. Mass of Christian Burial was offered on Thursday, March 10, at St. Louis Bertrand church with Monsignor Joseph E. Kurtz, Archbishop of Louisville as celebrant and Monsignor Thomas C. Kelly OP., Former Archbishop of Louisville, assisting. Fr. Townsend's body was laid to rest in the Dominican Cemetery at St. Rose church in Springfield, Kentucky, where he began his novitiate in 1943.
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