Born James Gabriel Nolan on May 5, 1900 on the Southeast side of Chicago, Illinois he was the son of James Nolan and Delia Kiley. There at St. Agnes Parish Passionist priests Xavier Sutton and Lambert Kendrick gave a mission and Father Ambrose Stemler also preached. All this led young James to be introduced to Provincial Alfred Cagney. In 1915 James went to the Passionist Preparatory Seminary at Holy Cross Monastery, Mount Adams, Cincinnati, Ohio. He stayed there for two years but appeared to battle tuberculosis and eventually left the prep. In 1918 he entered the Passionist novitiate in Louisville, Kentucky. On December 26, 1919 he took his Passionist vows under the direction of novice master Father Jerome Reutermann and received the name Egbert. He studied at St. Paul, Kansas, Chicago, Illinois and Cincinatti. During this time he was under temporary vows and took final vows in 1920 under special permission of the Sacred Congregation of Religious. He was ordained a priest on February 27, 1927 in Cincinnati by Bishop Paul Nussbaum, C.P. of Marquette, Michigan. After ordination he served as assistant master of novices and later as assistant pastor at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky. In 1935 he was appointed director of the Passionist Preparatory School, Normandy, Missouri. In 1940 he returned to parish work at nearby St. Ann’s, Normandy. For five years he was assigned to St. Paul, Kansas as assistant superior and held the same position for six years at Holy Cross Monastery, Cincinnati. In 1956 Father Nolan was assigned to Mater Dolorosa Monastery, Sierra Madre, California. In 1959 he returned to Cincinnati as pastor of Holy Cross Monastery Church. When the parish was joined with Immaculata in 1964 he was reassigned to Sierra Madre. He was a busy director of retreats and preacher and in his later years was an active substitute priest in Los Angeles parishes, especially the two Catholic chapels in downtown Los Angeles. In May 1990 he returned to Daneo Hall, Chicago.
Birth Date:
May 5, 1900
Profession Date:
December 26, 1919
Ordination Date:
February 27, 1927
Death Date:
January 6, 1992