Taylor, Father Lawrence
1980, December 13
Date of Birth: 1912, May 4
Lawrence Taylor was born in San Diego, California, then in the diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, on May 4, 1912. Between 1919 and 1926 he was in public schools in San Diego and Los Angeles. From 1926 to 1930 he was in St. Agnes School in Los Angeles. In 1930 he entered the Los Angeles Junior Seminary. In 1932 he came to St. Patrick’s Seminary in San Francisco, California, to complete his college education; he earned his B.A. in 1934. He took his Theology at St. Patrick’s, and was ordained to the priesthood on April 2, 1938, for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Later that year he entered the Solitude in Catonsville, Maryland. He completed his novitiate in 1939.
Father Taylor was then appointed to St. Joseph’s College in Mountain View, California, where he spent his entire academic career. He taught, principally English, from 1939 to 1973. In 1944 he was awarded his M.A. from St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland. From 1944 to 1957 he was also Dean of Studies. In the late 1940’s back problems became aggravated for Father Taylor. These problems brought him in 1958 to the Mayo Clinic and necessitated several operations. Ill health forced his retirement in 1973 to the Sulpician Retirement Home, St. Charles Villa, in Catonsville. He died there on December 13, 1980.
Adapted from Father Taylor’s “Personal Data” sheet and from other data supplied by Father John Bowen.