James A. Martin
Encyclopedia
James Aloysius Martin, S.J.
, (August 30, 1902 - October 1, 2007) was an American
Jesuit priest
, professor
and athletic director
. Martin was the world's oldest Jesuit priest at the time of his death at the age of 105 at the Georgetown University
Jesuit Residence in Washington, D.C.
. His father worked as a musical director at the family's local Roman Catholic church. All three of Martin's sisters eventually became Catholic nun
s.
Martin was described as an accomplished youth athlete and was offered several college athletic scholarships. He was also offered the chance to play baseball
on the professional level. However, Martin chose instead to study to become a Catholic priest in the Society of Jesus
religious order
, which is more commonly called the Jesuits. Martin began his studies to become a priest in the early 1920s. He initially entered a seminary
in Yonkers, New York
, before transferring later to another seminary in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
.
Martin received a Master's degree
in theology
from Weston College
, which is now called the Weston Jesuit School of Theology
, in 1926. However, he did not receive his bachelor's degree
from Weston College until 1927, a year after earning his master's.
, Latin
and Greek
at the Ateneo de Manila High School
, a Jesuit-run school in Manila
, the Philippines
. He is credited with introducing modern basketball
to the Philippines, and coaching the Ateneo Blue Eagles
basketball team to two NCAA championships, an accomplishment he spoke of fondly until near the end of his life. Among the players Martin coached on the Ateneo Blue Eagles was the future Senator
Ambrosio Padilla
. He also coached the Ateneo de Manila High School's baseball
team.
He returned to the United States
in 1931 to study theology at Woodstock College
in Maryland
from 1931 until 1934.
and assistant dean
of men at Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C. He left Georgetown after one year to take the position of athletic director at St. Joseph's College, now called St. Joseph's University, in Philadelphia for two years.
Martin left St. Joseph's College after two years to serve as a chaplain for the United States Army Air Forces
during World War II
. He served with the Army Air Forces in Italy
, North Africa
and France
. He remained in Europe
after World War II to help raise money to rebuild damaged or destroyed Jesuit schools and churches.
Martin returned to the United States in 1946. He worked as the chairman of the Department of Theologyat at the University of Scranton
from 1946 until 1949. He simultaneously worked as a University of Scranton student counselor
during this same time.
He moved to back Washington D.C. in 1949 where he became a religion
teacher and guidance counselor at Gonzaga College High School
. Martin led spiritual retreat programs and meetings at churches around the Washington metropolitan area as part of a Jesuit "mission band" during the early 1950s.
Martin became the founding director of the Loyola Retreat House, which overlooks the Potomac River
in Charles County, Maryland
, from 1955 to 1964. He oversaw the planning and building of the retreat house, which sits on 235 acre (0.9510121 km²) of land. He spent much of the rest of his priesthood conducting Jesuit led spiritual retreats and outreach programs.
Martin lived at the Jesuit residence on the campus of Georgetown University from 1974 until his death in 2007.
He worked as the director of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
's Apostleship of Prayer, which encourages daily prayer, from 1975 until 1983. He also worked as a consultant
for the Christian Family Movement
.
His last official assignment was as at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia
, as a pastoral assistant in 1983. Martin retired in 1989.
Martin, along with 41 other centenarians, were honored in 2006 at the city of Washington D.C.'s annual celebration of residents over the age of 100.
at the Jesuit Residence at Georgetown University
on October 1, 2007.
He was 105 years old.
Just two weeks before Martin's death, he was visited by Ateneo de Manila University
president Bienvenido Nebres
, who gave him a jacket of the Ateneo basketball team that he had coached some 70 years earlier. Martin was said to have worn the jacket to the evening community mass.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, (August 30, 1902 - October 1, 2007) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Jesuit priest
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...
, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
. Martin was the world's oldest Jesuit priest at the time of his death at the age of 105 at the Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
Jesuit Residence in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Early life
James A. Martin was born on August 30, 1902, in Wilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
. His father worked as a musical director at the family's local Roman Catholic church. All three of Martin's sisters eventually became Catholic nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s.
Martin was described as an accomplished youth athlete and was offered several college athletic scholarships. He was also offered the chance to play baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
on the professional level. However, Martin chose instead to study to become a Catholic priest in the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
, which is more commonly called the Jesuits. Martin began his studies to become a priest in the early 1920s. He initially entered a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
, before transferring later to another seminary in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
West Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,416 at the 2000 census.- History :...
.
Martin received a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from Weston College
Weston College
Weston College is a further education college situated in Weston-super-Mare, England. The college has 7,500 students who are taught at facilities in Weston-super-Mare and Nailsea...
, which is now called the Weston Jesuit School of Theology
Weston Jesuit School of Theology
The Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Brighton, Massachusetts, United States is the graduate divinity school of Boston College and an ecclesiastical faculty of theology that trains men and women, both lay and religious, for service, especially within the Roman Catholic Church...
, in 1926. However, he did not receive his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Weston College until 1927, a year after earning his master's.
In the Philippines
From 1928 to 1931, Martin taught EnglishEnglish studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
at the Ateneo de Manila High School
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
, a Jesuit-run school in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He is credited with introducing modern basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
to the Philippines, and coaching the Ateneo Blue Eagles
Ateneo Blue Eagles
The Ateneo Blue Eagles is the name of the collegiate men's varsity basketball team of the Ateneo de Manila University that plays in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the premiere sports league in the country. The collegiate women's varsity basketball team is called the Lady...
basketball team to two NCAA championships, an accomplishment he spoke of fondly until near the end of his life. Among the players Martin coached on the Ateneo Blue Eagles was the future Senator
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
Ambrosio Padilla
Ambrosio Padilla
Ambrosio Bibby Padilla was a former Filipino basketball player and former elected member of the Senate of the Philippines. He was one of the most important figures in the Asian basketball development.Padilla was born as the eighth of eleven children of Dr. Nicanor Padilla and Ysabel Bibby...
. He also coached the Ateneo de Manila High School's baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team.
He returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1931 to study theology at Woodstock College
Woodstock College
Woodstock College was a Jesuit seminary that existed from 1869 to 1974. It was the oldest Jesuit seminary in the United States. The school was located in Woodstock, Maryland, west of Baltimore, from its establishment until 1969, when it moved to New York City, where it operated in cooperation with...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
from 1931 until 1934.
Jesuits
James A. Martin was officially ordained a Jesuit priest in 1934. In 1939, Martin was appointed the assistant athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
and assistant dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of men at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, D.C. He left Georgetown after one year to take the position of athletic director at St. Joseph's College, now called St. Joseph's University, in Philadelphia for two years.
Martin left St. Joseph's College after two years to serve as a chaplain for the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He served with the Army Air Forces in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He remained in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
after World War II to help raise money to rebuild damaged or destroyed Jesuit schools and churches.
Martin returned to the United States in 1946. He worked as the chairman of the Department of Theologyat at the University of Scranton
University of Scranton
The University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a...
from 1946 until 1949. He simultaneously worked as a University of Scranton student counselor
School counselor
A school counselor is a counselor and an educator who works in elementary, middle, and high schools to provide academic, career, college access, and personal/social competencies to K-12 students...
during this same time.
He moved to back Washington D.C. in 1949 where he became a religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
teacher and guidance counselor at Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, D.C. The school is named in honor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century...
. Martin led spiritual retreat programs and meetings at churches around the Washington metropolitan area as part of a Jesuit "mission band" during the early 1950s.
Martin became the founding director of the Loyola Retreat House, which overlooks the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
in Charles County, Maryland
Charles County, Maryland
Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....
, from 1955 to 1964. He oversaw the planning and building of the retreat house, which sits on 235 acre (0.9510121 km²) of land. He spent much of the rest of his priesthood conducting Jesuit led spiritual retreats and outreach programs.
Martin lived at the Jesuit residence on the campus of Georgetown University from 1974 until his death in 2007.
He worked as the director of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the District of Columbia and Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and Saint Mary's counties in the state of Maryland....
's Apostleship of Prayer, which encourages daily prayer, from 1975 until 1983. He also worked as a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
for the Christian Family Movement
Christian Family Movement
The Christian Family Movement is a national movement of parish small groups of families that meet in one another’s homes to reinforce Christian values and actively encourage other fellow Christian parents through active involvement with others...
.
His last official assignment was as at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, as a pastoral assistant in 1983. Martin retired in 1989.
Martin, along with 41 other centenarians, were honored in 2006 at the city of Washington D.C.'s annual celebration of residents over the age of 100.
Death
James A. Martin died of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at the Jesuit Residence at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
on October 1, 2007.
He was 105 years old.
Just two weeks before Martin's death, he was visited by Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
president Bienvenido Nebres
Bienvenido Nebres
Father Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J. is a Filipino scientist, mathematician, and Jesuit who was the longest-serving university President of the Ateneo de Manila University. He succeeded Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J. in 1993, and served as University President until 1 June 2011...
, who gave him a jacket of the Ateneo basketball team that he had coached some 70 years earlier. Martin was said to have worn the jacket to the evening community mass.