Owen Joseph Carroll

Fr. Owen Carroll (Aug. 12, 1930 - June 26, 2024)

Owen Joseph Carroll was born in Ottawa, Canada on Aug. 12, 1930, to James Patrick Carroll and Glevis Mary (Maroney) Carroll. Of fragile constitution (which later came to be described as fibromyalgia), he was often unable to attend school. An avid reader, he educated himself in the many fine libraries available in this city. He matriculated at the University of Ottawa, St. Paul Campus where he received his Ph.D. in Philosophy. Always a diligent piano student and lover of classical music, he was a good friend (and trusted critic) of the renowned Canadian pianist Glenn Gould. They agreed about Bach, but disagreed about Mozart, whom Owen revered throughout his lifetime.

In his mid-20s, Owen felt a call to the monastic life, and joined as a postulant at the Carthusian Monastery of Montrieux, near Marseilles in France. Because of his variable health, he was often unable to fully participate in the rigorous prayer schedule of the monks. They counseled Owen to return to the world, resume his teaching and pursue ordination as a priest. He began his teaching career at University of Cincinnati and DePaul University in Chicago. At the University of Chicago, he studied with and became a friend of the noted Romanian Professor of Comparative Religion, Mircea Eliade, whose works he continued to explicate in his own teaching.

In 1965, Owen accepted a momentous offer to teach philosophy at St. Mary's College in far-away Moraga, California. At the age of 42, he was ordained as a priest by the Archbishop of Ottawa, and assigned to continue his teaching at St. Mary's. During this time, he also attended the Greek College in Rome, where he received faculties to celebrate the Eastern Byzantine Rite liturgies. For some 15 years, he celebrated Sunday and Holy Day liturgies for Melkite Rite Catholics in Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco.

Owen's teaching career at St. Mary's spanned almost 50 years. His teaching almost always focused on exploring the depths of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. These profound doctors were often explored through insights provided by his omnivorous reading of such diverse authors as Patrick O'Brian, Agatha Christie and P.G. Wodehouse.

Three generations of students have attended his classes, and many of them have continued to keep contact with him throughout their lives. He also taught as a visiting professor at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, Drew University in New Jersey and Wyoming Catholic College. After his retirement to the Mercy Retirement and Care Center at the age of 82, he continued teaching weekly philosophy-art-music seminars for his fellow residents. His book The Sufferings and Glory of Christ was published by Albertus Magnus Press in 2021.

Owen is survived by his loving niece Catherine Carroll of Ottawa, grandnephew Oskar Petersons and grandnieces Olivia Petersons and Victoria Petersons. He will be interred with his parents, his brothers Gordon and Ronald, his sister-in-law Denise and his nephew Andrew in Notre Dame Cemetery in Ottawa. Nearby is buried Owen's dear lifelong friend, Msgr. Robert Devine.

A Memorial Mass for Fr. Owen Carroll will be celebrated by Bishop Michael Barber in the Oakland Cathedral of Christ the Light, on July 27 at 12 noon. An onsite luncheon reception will follow.