Richard Albert (June 29, 1946 – November 30, 2015) was an American-Jamaican Catholic priest who founded the St. Patrick's and Stella Maris foundations in Jamaica.
Early life and education
editAlbert was born to Margaret (Kehoe) and Jerome Albert in the Bronx on June 29, 1946. His father was a steamfitter and his paternal grandfather was a Jewish immigrant.[1]
Albert grew up in Peekskill, New York. He joined the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement in Garrison, New York in 1960 and was ordained in 1965.[1]
He earned two bachelor’s degrees from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in philosophy and in sacred theology.[1]
Career
editAlbert was sent to Jamaica, an assignment he did not like and speculated was a punishment for disagreements he had with the Father Superior that also delayed his ordination.[2]
In 1991, Albert became an honorary prelate of the Vatican, accompanied by the title of Monsignor.[2]
In 2001, Vatican’s Path to Peace Foundation honored Albert with the Servitor Pacis Award. In 2004, he won the $1 million Opus Prize, a humanitarian award from the nonprofit Helping Hands for the Poor.[1]
He founded the St. Monica's Home for the Aged and the St. Patrick's and Stella Maris foundations in Jamaica.[3]
Albert was sent into early retirement from the priesthood circa 2010.[4]
Personal life and death
editAlbert renounced his American citizenship to become a Jamaican citizen.[3]
He was discovered struggling to breathe on Sunday night, November 29, 2015 by friend and member of the Jamaican parliament Daryl Vaz. Albert was taken to University of the West Indies; he complained of back pain at the hospital and then lost consciousness. He was resuscitated and received last rites before he died overnight.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Roberts, Sam (December 2, 2015). "Msgr. Richard Albert, Who Fought for the Poor in Jamaica, Dies at 69". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Monsignor Richard Albert: the priest who came in from the cold". Jamaica Observer. 2015-12-03. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ a b c "Monsignor Richard Albert dies suddenly". Jamaica Gleaner. 2015-12-01. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ "He was disappointed but never bitter - Monsignor Richard Albert wanted to return to active priest duty". Jamaica Gleaner. 2015-12-17. Retrieved 2024-09-27.