Rev. Leo P. Cavanaugh, O.S.A. (1912-1984)
Rev. Leo P. Cavanaugh, O.S.A., entered eternal life on January 23, 1984.
Leo Patrick Cavanaugh was born on August 10, 1912, in Medford, Massachusetts, to Matthew and Annie (Macdonald) Cavanaugh. He was baptized on August 18, 1912, at St. Clement Catholic Church, Medford.
Leo graduated in 1931 from Boston College High School, Boston, Massachusetts. He earned a B. A. in Economics from Boston College, Boston, in 1938.
He was received into the Augustinian Novitiate on October 30, 1938. He professed simple (temporary) vows in the Order of St. Augustine on October 31, 1939, and solemn (permanent) vows on October 31, 1942. He pursued theological studies from 1941 to 1944 at Augustinian College, Washington, D.C. He was ordained a priest on May 29, 1943.
Father Cavanaugh was assigned to St. Rita High School, Chicago, Illinois, as a teacher in 1944. He was transferred in 1946 to teach at Cascia Hall School, Tulsa, Oklahoma. He then taught at Villanova Preparatory School, Ojai, California, during 1950 and 1951.
In 1951, he returned to St. Rita High School, Chicago, where he taught with great dedication for the remaining years of his life.
Toward the end of his life, Father Cavanaugh suffered from terminal cancer, which caused his death on January 23, 1984, in Portland, Maine.
He was known as a gentle man and, especially in his later years, for his care for his Augustinian community and for the students he taught.
He is buried in the Augustinian plot at St. Mary Cemetery, Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Memorial gifts may be made to: The Midwest Augustinians, 10161 S Longwood Dr, Chicago, IL 60643-2032 or via our Online Giving Page.
