Rev. John W. Crossin, OSFS, 1947-2023

REV. JOHN W. CROSSIN, OSFS

Oblate Priest, Theologian, Ecumenist

With sadness, but with faith in the Resurrection, we announce that our brother, Rev. John W. Crossin, OSFS, died at the age of 75, on May 12, 2023, after a brief illness.

Fr. Crossin was a professed member of the Oblate community for 56 years and a priest for 47 years.  A teacher, theologian, author and scholar, Fr. Crossin was an expert in the field of Christian ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.  His scholarship also focused on ethics, virtue and friendship.

John was born on May 17, 1947, in Philadelphia, the oldest of four children of John William and Marie (Astley) Crossin.  He attended Father Judge High School in Philadelphia and joined the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales after graduation in 1965.  John had been a scholar and athlete at Judge and declined several scholarships, including to the University of Pennsylvania, to enter religious life.  John made   his First Profession of vows in 1967 and his Perpetual Profession of vows in 1971.  For his apostolic internship, John taught Math at Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia.

John earned a B.S., summa cum laude, in Mathematics at Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales (now DeSales University).  He also earned an M.A. in Theology and an M.A. in Psychology from The Catholic University of America.  Fr. John was ordained a priest on May 15, 1976, at Our Lady of Ransom Church in Philadelphia.  Subsequently, Fr. Crossin taught religion at Salesianum School in Wilmington for a year.  In 1982, John received his Ph.D. in Moral Theology from Catholic University. 

Throughout the 1980s, Fr. John was on the faculty and formation team at the Oblate seminary in Washington, D.C., and served as religious superior. In 1987, Fr. Crossin became President of the De Sales School of Theology.

In 1999, Fr. John was appointed the Executive Director of the Washington Theological Consortium, where he served for the next fourteen years.  During this time he also taught at several theological schools, including Catholic University, Wesley Theological Seminary, Virginia Theological Seminary, and Gettysburg Lutheran Theological Seminary.

From 2012 to 2017, Fr. John served as Executive Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Washington, D.C.   During this time, Fr. John was a visiting fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, President of the North American Academy of Ecumenists and a Consultor to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity at the Vatican.  In the latter capacity, Fr. Crossin was a member of the Pontifical Council’s team for the Joint Working Group with the World Council of Churches. 

Fr. John served on the boards of many organizations in the Church and in his religious community.  He was the Assistant General Treasurer for the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, a member of the Province Planning Committee and the Province Vocations Committee, and was twice elected a Provincial Counselor of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province. 

Upon completing his term at the USCCB, Fr. Crossin became Director of Spiritual Formation at the St. Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland.   Subsequently, Fr. John had a research sabbatical during which he wrote his latest book, Moving into the Ecumenical Future:  Foundations of a Paradigm for Christian Ethics (published in 2022).   In addition to this title, Fr. Crossin is also the author of the following books:   What Are They Saying About Virtue (1985), Walking in Virtue: Moral Decisions and Spiritual Growth in Daily Life (1998), Everyday Virtues (2002), and Friendship: The Key to Spiritual Growth (2014). Throughout his long career, Fr. Crossin contributed numerous articles to many theological and ecumenical journals.

Recognized as a national leader in ecumenism, Fr. John was the recipient of the Interfaith Bridge Builders Award of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, the Pillar of Faith Award of the Howard University School of Divinity/United Church of Christ and the Washington Theological Consortium Ecumenical Award. He was also a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the Society of Christian Ethics, and the Thomas More Society of Washington.  Fr. John also served on the board of De Sales University and on the Ethics Committee at Providence Hospital in D.C.

Throughout his many years in the Washington/Northern Virginia area, Fr. Crossin ministered on weekends at Annunciation Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Washington, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Vienna, Virginia, and St. John Neumann Parish community in Reston, Virginia.  Fr. John retired to Reston in 2022 so that he could concentrate on his writing and assist in the parish.

He also continued to be a beloved spiritual director to many people in the area, including the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales and members of the Cursillo community.

Fr. Crossin is preceded in death by his parents.  He is survived by his Oblate confreres, his brother James (Kathy), his brother Robert (Barbara), his sister Ann Larkin (Joseph) and many nieces, nephews and cousins. 

Fr. John lived a life dedicated to living the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales, the gentleman saint.  He brought the lessons and inspiration of Francis into his academic and pastoral work.  He was passionate about exploring the breadth of the Christian faith and finding common ground with all faiths.  In reflecting on his most recent book, Fr. John was most optimistic that it may be the foundation for an international dialogue about ecumenical studies. He reflected, “I hope this book will help bring us together, which is Jesus’ will at the Last Supper; pray that we be one.” 

An educator throughout his life, in his final weeks, Fr. John taught us how to live in the present moment. May he experience the fullness of God’s presence, which he saw revealed in Scripture, the Church and Salesian Spirituality. May he rest in peace.

Arrangements:

The wake for Fr. Crossin will be held on Wednesday, May 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at St. John Neumann Parish Community in Reston, Virginia, followed by Mass of Christian Burial 3:00 pm.  A reception will follow the Mass.

Another viewing will be held at the Oblate Retirement Residence in Childs, Maryland, on Thursday, May 18.  Visitation is from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Burial will follow in the Oblate Cemetery.

 Condolences may be sent to: 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert & Barbara Crossin

140 New Road

Southampton, PA  18966

In memory of Father Crossin’s life and legacy, donations may be made to the Oblate Development Fund, P.O. Box 87, Childs, MD 21916-0087 or here.

May 1st is Religious Brothers Day!

In 2021, I was both honored and humbled to be invited to deliver the keynote address for the Annual Religious Brothers Conference. It was a virtual event rather than a live one due to Covid restrictions, which was fine with me because I didn’t have to travel and get all dressed up. The theme I was given to muse on was “Brotherhood in the 21st Century,” which inspired a whole new series of images of my favorite Brother saints from across the ages and cultures of Church history. Each of these holy Brothers in his own way has inspired me over the years to creatively be who I am, perfectly well. I would love to share a few of them with you on this 2023 Religious Brothers Day. But first, let us look at a more recent image of Jesus, the Big Brother of all Brothers.

©️Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS

JESUS THE GARDENER In recent years, one of my favorite images of Jesus is inspired by the Easter story in John’s Gospel wherein Mary Magdalene approaches the empty tomb on Easter morning and mistakenly thinks Jesus is the humble gardener- not a high priest or bishop, nor a chief rabbi or pope, but a simple gardener! A humble Brother laborer! A creator of life in all its glorious color! Whether it’s Gethsemane or the Garden of the Resurrection, we are called to be there for and with each other, walking in the Garden of Life and creating glimpses of heaven on Earth.

©️Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS

SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER May 1 was established as the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker to create a Christian alternative to May Day, the day established by the Communists to celebrate the common worker. Dorothy Day, who had great devotion to Saint Joseph, used this feast day to launch the Catholic Worker newspaper in New York City. While the Communists were holding their big rally in Union Square, she and her fellow workers were distributing copies of the newspaper as a way to present Catholic Social Teaching to the hungry, jobless masses in the midst of the Great Depression.

©️Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI Like Jesus the Gardener, Francis was interested in nothing more than celebrating the life-giving beauty of all creation and all creatures. He even called the sun his Brother, and his sister the moon. At the very heart of Franciscan Spirituality was, and still is, the importance of living life in humility, simplicity and goodness, all the goals of a good religious Brother! Because Francis never desired elevated status or privilege of any kind, he remained an unordained Brother, a simple friar who discovered the holy presence of God in all things and all people.

©️Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS

SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES With all due respect to Dominic, Catherine and Thomas Aquinas, I must admit that Brother Martin is my favorite Dominican Saint. Rising above the racist and clerical teachings and practices of the Catholic Church in his day, Martin evolved out of the margins with mature and self-confident spirituality to become not only a model of gentleness and compassion in his own day but also what he is today: the Patron Saint of Race Relations; Biracial People; Public Health Workers; Hairdressers and Barbers; and Veterinarians! He did it all by simply being himself perfectly well.

©️Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS

BLESSED FRA ANGELICO Giovanni de Fiesole earned the nickname “Fra Angelico” because of his sweet and gentle nature. Not only was he a most impressive Dominican Brother, but was one of the great master painters of the Italian Renaissance. The walls of his home at San Marco Priory in Florence are adorned with beautiful frescoes illustrating the lives of Jesus, Mary and the saints. These frescoes were created to inspire the prayers and meditations of his fellow Dominican friars and community mates and they still do that for visitors today. Go to Florence and see for yourself!

©️Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS

A CLOSING THOUGHT FROM POPE FRANCIS In these modern times of declining numbers of Brothers, sisters and priests in religious life, it is good to recall that each of these saintly Brothers also lived in challenging times of reform and division, but each one did joyfully what he was called to do and each one was the person he was called to be: hard-working and devoted; generous and compassionate; active and contemplative men of their times and timeless messengers of the Gospel. Let us follow their lead in our own unique way today.

Happy National Brothers Day!

Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS

Salesian Artist

Camden, NJ

*Brother Mickey's books, prayer starters, Christmas Cards and Calendars are available at Clear Faith Publishing. Brother Mickey's images can be purchased at Trinity Stores.