Theology

Professor Emeritus Msgr. James Turro Turns 100, Featured in NJ.com, Aleteia  

Reverend Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, Dean, ICSST (left), Monsignor James Turro (middle) and Rev. Mariusz Eugene Koch (right) celebrate Msgr. Turro’s birthday during a lunch.

Reverend Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, Dean, ICSST (left), Monsignor James Turro (middle) and Rev. Mariusz Eugene Koch (right) celebrate Msgr. Turro’s birthday during a lunch.

This month, Professor Emeritus Monsignor James Turro reached a special milestone: celebrating his 100th birthday on January 26th.

In honor of his centennial, NJ.com and Aleteia highlighted Monsignor Turro's life and impact in local communities, reporting on his more than 70 years of priesthood serving the Archdiocese of Newark.

Part of his priesthood included more than a half century of teaching at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology here at Seton Hall, shaping the minds and spiritual hearts of seminarians and students in New Testament Studies until his retirement in 1992. Monsignor Turro also served as the director of the Seminary's library, now named after him.

Father Alexander Santora, M.A. Div '81, one of Monsignor Turro's previous students and a regular column contributor to NJ.com, wrote: "He was one of the best seminar lecturers I ever had, using an economy of words and never repeating himself."

Monsignor Turro's brevity is a hallmark for those who know him – as NJ.com noted, "His homilies are legendary for being excessively brief: about four or six sentences." The goal? To allow for more of a conversation, Monsignor Turro told NJ.com.

Monsignor Turro's impact expands beyond the classroom and the many church communities he dedicated his time to. Described as "scholar, thinker and adventure seeker," his years of priesthood involved studies in the United States and Rome as well as service on various councils that had impact worldwide.

Aleteia, an online news site published in seven languages with 13 million unique monthly visitors, 3.3 million fans on Facebook and a newsletter subscriber base of more than half a million, notes of Monsignor Turro:

[His work at Immaculate Conception Seminary] was still only a fraction of what he's achieved in his busy life. He was also a director of the seminary's library, which is not only now named after him, but also houses four books he authored: Prayer and Reflections: Path to Prayer (Paulist Press, 1962 and 1972), Ezekiel (Liturgical Press, 1967) and Conversion: Reflections on Life and Faith (Tabor Press, 1993).

Monsignor Turro also served on a few boards, including the Presbyteral (Priests) Council, the Priest Personnel Board, and the "Advocate" editorial board.

Monsignor Turro currently resides at Our Lady of Mercy Rector in Park Ridge, New Jersey – a parish where he served as a weekend assistant for more than 50 years.

Read more about Monsignor Turro's life and impact by visiting:

Categories: Faith and Service

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