Father Norbert McCloskey, C.P., St. Paul of the Cross Province (1859-1944)

Born on April 13, 1859 in uptown New York City around 42^nd Street, he went to public school. At sixteen he then went to St. Francis Xavier High School run by the Jesuits on 16^th Street. As a young boy he would often travel across the river to the Passionist monastery, West Hoboken, New Jersey where he would be blessed by the relic of St. Paul of the Cross. In 1876 he entered the Passionist novitiate in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He professed his vows on August 11, 1877 with the religious name of Norbert. He was ordained on April 27, 1884 by Bishop Wigger of the Newark diocese. He was known as a mission preacher and from 1886 until 1932 he worked tirelessly. By his account he gave 505 missions and 40 retreats. In 1913 when Father Paul Joseph Nussbaum, C.P. became Bishop of Corpus Christi Father McCloskey filled out Nussbaum’s term as consultor. This allowed him to attend the General Chapter in Rome. For his last eleven years he lived in West Springfield.