Joseph M. Champlin
Encyclopedia
Msgr. Joseph M. Champlin (May 11, 1930 – January 17, 2008) was a Roman Catholic priest
, author
, and lecturer
.
, the son of Francis Malburn and Katherine Masson Champlin and stepson of Charles Haynes. He was educated in his hometown public schools before graduating from Phillips Academy
at Andover, Massachusetts
. After studying at Yale
and Notre Dame Universities
, he began his journey to the priesthood at seminaries in Rochester, New York
. He was ordained Thursday, February 2, 1956 and enjoyed a full and varied priestly ministry for over 50 years. A prolific writer, he has written 50 books with over 20 million copies of his publications in print. For many years, he authored a weekly column on liturgy and worship, appeared in a dozen videos, and made numerous television appearances. He also frequented local radio with inspirational insights, always concluding with, “You may have tried everything else, why not try God?”
Champlin’s first assignment was The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse, New York
. He subsequently served as pastor at Holy Family in Fulton, New York
and St. Joseph in Camillus, New York
, and returned to the Cathedral where he retired after serving as Rector from 1995-2005. At the time of his death, he was the sacramental priest at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Warners, New York
. In addition to his pastoral ministry, Champlin served as the Associate Director in the Liturgy Secretariat for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC. He spent a year at the North American College in Rome, Italy and was the Diocesan Director of Parish Life and Worship. Ten years ago, Champlin founded the Guardian Angel Society, a non-profit effort to assist children from economically challenged homes with their education. The Society has raised close to $2 million and helped 150 youngsters reach their academic potential and have a better chance at life.
Champlin traveled more than two million miles here and abroad, lecturing on liturgical and pastoral matters as well as conducting retreats for priests and parish missions.
. Champlin had arranged to donate his body to Upstate Medical Center to help others through medical research to find cures for disease. Upon return of Champlin's cremains from Upstate Medical Center, they were interred on March 19, 2009 in the crypt of the Syracuse Cathedral.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
.
History
Champlin was born on May 11, 1930 in Hammondsport, New YorkHammondsport, New York
Hammondsport is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 731 at the 2000 census. The village is named after its founding father.The Village of Hammondsport is in the Town of Urbana and is northeast of Bath, New York....
, the son of Francis Malburn and Katherine Masson Champlin and stepson of Charles Haynes. He was educated in his hometown public schools before graduating from Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
at Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
. After studying at Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and Notre Dame Universities
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, he began his journey to the priesthood at seminaries in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. He was ordained Thursday, February 2, 1956 and enjoyed a full and varied priestly ministry for over 50 years. A prolific writer, he has written 50 books with over 20 million copies of his publications in print. For many years, he authored a weekly column on liturgy and worship, appeared in a dozen videos, and made numerous television appearances. He also frequented local radio with inspirational insights, always concluding with, “You may have tried everything else, why not try God?”
Champlin’s first assignment was The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. He subsequently served as pastor at Holy Family in Fulton, New York
Fulton, Oswego County, New York
Fulton is a small city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 11,855 at the 2000 census. The city is named after Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat.The city of Fulton is located in the western part of the county....
and St. Joseph in Camillus, New York
Camillus (town), New York
Camillus is a town in Onondaga County, New York, U.S. The population was 24,167 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Roman military leader Marcus Furius Camillus by a clerk interested in the classics....
, and returned to the Cathedral where he retired after serving as Rector from 1995-2005. At the time of his death, he was the sacramental priest at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Warners, New York
Warners, New York
Warners is a hamlet in Onondaga County, New York, United States....
. In addition to his pastoral ministry, Champlin served as the Associate Director in the Liturgy Secretariat for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC. He spent a year at the North American College in Rome, Italy and was the Diocesan Director of Parish Life and Worship. Ten years ago, Champlin founded the Guardian Angel Society, a non-profit effort to assist children from economically challenged homes with their education. The Society has raised close to $2 million and helped 150 youngsters reach their academic potential and have a better chance at life.
Champlin traveled more than two million miles here and abroad, lecturing on liturgical and pastoral matters as well as conducting retreats for priests and parish missions.
Death
Champlin died January 17, 2008, from a rare form of cancer. Having been diagnosed with Waldenstrom's, a bone marrow disease, in 2002, his health had been slowly deteriorating. He was aged 77 at the time of his death. Father Joe's death caused a shock in the Diocese and beyond, with news stories coming out almost instantaneously. He died at about 2100 UTC on January 17 at University HospitalUniversity hospital
A university hospital is an institution which combines the services of a hospital with the education of medical students and with medical research. These hospitals are typically affiliated with a medical school or university...
. Champlin had arranged to donate his body to Upstate Medical Center to help others through medical research to find cures for disease. Upon return of Champlin's cremains from Upstate Medical Center, they were interred on March 19, 2009 in the crypt of the Syracuse Cathedral.
Selected Writings (mostly paperback)
- Together for Life: A Preparation for Marriage Outside Mass (1970, 1979, 1985, 1997)
- Together For Life: A Preparation for Marriage and for the Ceremony (1981, 1986, 1988)
- Inside a Catholic church: A Guide to Signs, Symbols, and Saints (2003)
- Marriage And Holy Orders: Your Call to Love And Serve (with Michael Amodei; 2007)
- Slow Down: Five-Minute Meditations to De-Stress Your Days (2004)
- Communion of the Sick (2005)
- What It Means to Be Catholic (2006)
- "Don't You Really Love Me?" (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975)
- The Living Parish - A Believing, Caring, Praying People (1977)
- Juntos Para Toda La Vida: Una Preparacion Para El Matrimonio Y La Ceremonia (1994)
- Daily Reflections for Advent 2007: Prepare Your Heart (2007)
- The Eucharist: A Mystery of Faith (2005)
- When the Dying Speak: How to Listen to and Learn from Those Facing Death (with Ronald Wooten-Green; 2002)
- Through Death to Life (1979, 1984, 1990)
- The Breaking Of The Bread: An Updated Handbook For Extraordinary Ministers Of Holy Communion (2005)
- The Marginal Catholic: Challenge, Don't Crush (1989, 2001)
- Should We Marry? (2001)
- Sustaining and Strengthening Stewardship (with James Kelley; 1995)
- Why Go to Confession: Questions and Answers About Sacramental Reconciliation (1982, 1996)
- Take Five: One Hundred Meditations to De-stress Your Days (2006)
- Grateful Caretakers of God's Many Gifts: A Parish Manual to Foster the Sharing of Time, Talent, and Treasure (Sacrificial Giving Program; 2002)
- Firm But Kind And Gentle: A Practical Handbook for Pastoral Ministry (2007)
- The Stations of the Cross With Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
(1994) - From the Heart: Personalizing Your Wedding Homily With Your Own Hopes and Expectations (1998)
- Good Mom, Bad Mom ("The Other Mother: A Novel")
- A Way of Life: Four Faith-Sharing Sessions about Sacrificial Giving, Stewardship, and Grateful Caretaking (2004)
- Preparing for Eternity: A Catholic Handbook for End-of-Life Concerns (2007)
- El Vía Crucis Con El Papa Juan Pablo II (with Grady Gunter; 1997)
- Behind Closed Doors: Handbook on How to Pray (1984)
- An Important Office of Immense Love: A Handbook for Eucharistic Ministers (1997)
- El Rito Del Matrimonio (1996)
- From Time to Eternity and Back: A Priest's Successful Struggle With Cancer (2004)
- Messengers of God's Word: A Handbook of Lectors (1982)
- Taking a Step: Pack of 100 (Sacrificial Giving Program; 2002)
- Special Signs of Grace: The Sacraments and Sacramentals (1986)
- Nurturing Sacrificial Giving: Practical Steps for Its Renewal & Growth (1988)
- Sharing Treasure, Time, and Talent: A Parish Manual for Sacrificial Giving or Tithing (1982)
- Love and Life (New Vision Series) (1966)
- The Lord Is Present (1973)
- Together by your side: A book for comforting sick and dying
- Grateful Giving (Sacrificial Giving Program; 2002)
- Mass in a World of Change (1975)
- Toward a New Life: Prayers, Psalms and Readings for the Family and a Guide for Planning the Funeral Service (with James McGovern and James E. Flynn; 1971)
- Sharing Gifts: A Spirituality of Time, Talent, and Treasure (1991)
- Alone No Longer (1977)
- Christ Present and Yet to Come: The Priest and God's People at Prayer (1981)
- Through the Catechism With Father Champlin (1996)
- An Important Office of Immense Love: A Handbook for Eucharistic Ministers (1984)
- The Sacraments in a World of Change (1972, 1973, 1975)
- Proper Balance (1981)
- Messengers of God's Word: A Handbook of Lectors (1982)
- An Important Office of Immense Love: A Handbook for Eucharistic Ministers (1980)
- Together in Peace for Children (with B. A. Haggerty; 1976)
- Meeting The Merciful Christ: How to Go to Confession (2005)
- Christ present and yet to come: The priest and God's people at prayer (1971)
- Father Champlin on Contemporary Issues: The Ten Commandments and Today's Catholics (1997)
- A Través Del Catecismo: Una Guía De Preguntas Y Respuetas (1999)
- "Do You Really Love Me?" (1971)
- Building better parish councils (1985)
- Pastoral Care: A Parish Planning Workbook (1998)
- Mystery and Meaning of the Mass (1999)
- To Live in Christ - Eucharist: Growing in Daily Spirituality (Spiritual Formation Program; 2007)