January 19 is the anniversary of Mark Crane.

Mark Crane, son of James Crane and Mary O’Connor was born in the parish of Bannow, Count Wexford, Ireland, on August 10, 1831. One of a family of eight bothers and one sister, he came to Villanova from Ireland together with his brother Peter in November of 1849. He entered the novitiate at Villanova in 1852 and made profession of vows on January 4, 1853. All of his education was obtained at Villanova College and he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop (Saint) Neumann on December 23, 1855 and celebrated his first Mass at Old Saint Augustine on Christmas Day.

Father Crane was first stationed at Villanova, and then in 1858 was sent to Saint Augustine parish in Lansingburg (Troy), NY. The following year, 1859, he was appointed rector of Saint Augustine, Philadelphia, where he labored the remaining years of his apostolate.

Father Crane came from a remarkable blessed family. His only sister, Mary Bridget, became a Carmelite nun in the Convent at New Ross, Ireland. His oldest brother, Patrick, and his youngest, Nicholas, became Augustinian priests in Ireland. His brother Martin, an Augustinian, became Bishop of Sandhurst, Australia (1875-1901). Peter, who came with Mark from Ireland to Villanova, was an Augustinian priest in the Villanova Province.

As was so often true in those days Father Mar Crane’s allotted time with us was all too short and he died in Philadelphia on January 19, 1871, at the age of 39. He is buried in the vault in Old Saint Augustine Church, Philadelphia.

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