Born January 6, 1840 in Blairsville, Pennsylvania he grew up in a pious Christian family. Early education in life prepared him for a business career as a railroad telegrapher and train dispatcher. However at twenty-one he decided to enter religious life and went to the Passionist monastery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He professed his vows on June 23, 1862 . He was ordained a priest on February 9, 1868. Father Barr was the first historian of the Passionists in the United States. With care and meticulous detail he put together information on the beginnings of the Passionists soon after their 1852 arrival in Pittsburgh. He also had a strong devotional understanding of faith to accompany this knowledge. As he aged he developed symptoms of chronic heart disease. Father Barr’s history is key to understanding early Passionist history.
Birth Date:
January 6, 1840
Profession Date:
June 23, 1862
Ordination Date:
February 9, 1868
Death Date:
December 7, 1900
Religious Name:
Hugh of St. Aloysius Barr