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December 7, 2023Father Andrew W. Carr, of the St. John Neumann Community, Timonium, Maryland, died on December 7, 2023, aged 94 and three months. He was born on August 21, 1929, in Manhattan, the son of Andrew and Hannah (O’Brien). He was also the brother of Father William E. Carr, C.Ss.R., who died in 1989.
Baptized (November 22, 1929) and confirmed (April 30, 1941) at the Redemptorist parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 61st Street in New York City, he also attended its parochial school. He then matriculated at St. Mary’s Preparatory Seminary in North East, PA (1943-1949). He was among the survivors of the famous Lackawanna Railroad derailment in 1943, when a number of students traveling to North East suffered injuries.
He professed temporary vows on August 2, 1950, at St. Mary’s, Ilchester, Maryland, and perpetual vows on September 2, 1953, at Mt. St. Alphonsus Seminary, Esopus, New York, where he was ordained to the priesthood on June 19, 1955. He made his second novitiate at St. Mary’s, Annapolis (1956-1957).
As a young priest, Father Carr was a missionary to the Vice-Provinces of Campo Grande, Brazil, and Asunción, Paraguay. His first assignment was to Bella Vista (1957-1967); Pedro Juan Caballero (rector, 1967-1972); Asunción I (1972-1981); Asunción II (1981-1982); Pedro Juan Caballero (rector, 1982-1984); and Asunción I (1984). In his ministry in South America, Father Carr was active in the Catholic charismatic renewal, particularly “Life in the Spirit” seminars. He was a frequent charismatic retreat director for priests, sisters, seminarians, confirmation groups, and those involved in “Marriage Encounter”.
Father Carr also served in the Baltimore Province. Upon his return to the United States, he was stationed at OLPH, 61st Street, NYC (pro tem, 1984-1985); and Immaculate Conception, Bronx, NY (1985-1993, rector, 1987-1993). In August 1993 he began a sabbatical that extended to December at the Oblate School of Theology in Texas (with Fr. Frank Sullivan). After a brief assignment to St. Boniface, Philadelphia (January-June 1994), he went to St. Michael the Archangel, Baltimore and Sacred Heart of Jesus, Baltimore. By 2012, Fr. Carr was in Timonium for health reasons.
In a 2005 interview with The Catholic Review, which acknowledged his 50th jubilee of ordination, Father Carr proclaimed: "I'm just a very happy priest, I make no bones about it. I have a lot of experience in counselling, and seeing the cooperation and the love of the people you're serving, who could not be happy?"
