Born October 3, 1919 in Louisville, Kentucky, he attended Holy Cross and Christ the King elementary schools and St. Francis Xavier High School. After graduation he entered the Passionist seminary in Normandy, Missouri where he completed the first two years of college. In 1939 he left the seminary because of poor health but was able to return a year later and entered the novitiate in St. Paul. Kansas. He professed his Passionist vows on July 16, 1941. From 1941 until 1944 he studied philosophy at St. Paul of the Cross Monastery, Detroit, Michigan and then transferred to the Passionist monastery in Chicago, Illinois for his first two years of theology. He completed his theological studies in Louisville. He was ordained on June 27, 1947 in Louisville at the cathedral. He went on for graduate studies at the University of Louisville and the University of Notre Dame where he earned a master’s degree. On August 30, 1950 Father Clifford was seriously injured in an auto accident near Flora, Illinois which left him with a permanent leg affliction. After he recovered he commenced a seventeen year career as professor at the Passionist seminary in St. Louis. In 1958 he was appointed assistant retreat director at the Passionist retreat house in Sierra Madre, California. After six months he returned to the Midwest for retreat work in Cincinnati, Ohio and Detroit. In 1960 he was named director of the Detroit retreat house and in 1964 elected for a two year term as national moderator of the National Catholic Laymen’s Retreat Conference where he worked on special projects. This was the precursor of Retreats International. He died in 1968 after a short illness.
Birth Date:
October 3, 1919
Profession Date:
July 16, 1941
Ordination Date:
June 27, 1947
Death Date:
February 1, 1968