Oblate College Professor Considered for Canonization

Father John Harvey, OSFS (Oblates of St. Francis de Sales) has been proposed for canonization for sainthood. Canonization is the Church’s formal, multi‑stage way of recognizing a deceased person as a saint of the Church. It begins when a religious community or diocese formally opens a “cause,” gathering documentation about the person’s life of virtue. If the Church determines that the individual lived with heroic faith, they may eventually be declared Venerable, then Blessed after a verified miracle, and finally Saint after two verified miracles.

A Life Rooted in Faith and Study

Born on April 14, 1918, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fr. Harvey attended Catholic grade and high schools before entering the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales novitiate in Childs, Maryland. He professed first vows on September 8, 1937, and perpetual vows on September 8, 1940.

His academic formation was extensive. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 1941 from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., followed by a Master’s degree in Psychology and Philosophy, a Licentiate in Theology, and, ten years later, a Doctorate in Moral Theology. He was ordained a priest on June 3, 1944, at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. After ordination, he taught English at Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia from 1945 to 1947.

A Teacher Who Shaped Generations

Beginning in 1948, Fr. Harvey taught Moral Theology at Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross in Washington, D.C. During this time, he also began his long service at DeSales Hall School of Theology and the Cluster of Independent Theological Schools.

For nearly two decades, seminarians at Oblate College in Washington, D.C. encountered him in the required Moral Theology course. His steady presence in the classroom shaped countless future priests and ministers. Through his teaching, mentorship, and example, Fr. Harvey influenced many lives, leaving a quiet but enduring mark on those preparing for ministry.
A Writer and Collaborator

Fr. Harvey wrote widely throughout his career, including a 1987 publication. A later book was dedicated to Father Richard Murphy, O.M.I., with whom he worked closely in the Cluster.

He retired in January 2010 and died on December 27, 2010.

The Father John Harvey Guild

In 2023, the Father John Harvey Guild was officially established as a non‑profit, with the primary aim of preparing for the opening of Father Harvey’s cause and organizing the materials needed for that process. The Father John Harvey Guild intends to eventually play the role of Petitioner when they approach the Bishop or Archbishop about opening the cause, but this step has not yet taken place.

For more information, please visit: https://www.frjohnharvey.com/guild

Written by Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.