John J. McKniff, O.S.A. was a deeply spiritual Augustinian missionary who served three nations in total. He is most known for his passion for pastoral ministering to the underprivileged in Peru and Cuba. Born in Media, Pennsylvania, he joined the Augustinian Order in 1924 and was ordained as a priest in 1930.
The majority of his adult life was spent working as a missionary in the Philippines, Cuba, and Peru. Though he was a part of the Augustinian Villanova Province, he collaborated closely with Augustinians from the Midwest during his time of service in Peru. After teaching at Villanova College he traveled to the Philippines and taught for three years. In 1939, he was transferred to Cuba and was appointed pastor of El Cristo del Buen Viaje Parish in the old district of Havana.
He was a remarkable pastor. Father McKniff was well-known to everyone since he frequently strolled through the parish to evangelize and serve others in the name of Christ. He founded numerous Catholic Action organizations, including the Young Catholic Workers and Legion of Mary. His sermons, leadership, and example inspired individuals to have a profound spirituality.
He encouraged parishioners to host prayer vigils in their homes.
He worked relentlessly in a setting that was becoming more hostile to defend and advance the Christian faith. His life was under jeopardy. He was held captive. But the most challenging aspect of this period was that he lost the Augustinian community life that he loved so much when 37 of his Augustinian brothers were exiled from the nation.
Father McKniff took his first vacation in eight years in 1968 and the Cuban authorities took the opportunity to forbid him from returning. The following three years were spent in ministry in New York parishes. But Father McKniff’s desire to continue his mission work persisted. He visited northern Peru in 1972. He assisted in putting into action the Chulucanas Diocese’s New Image of Parish pastoral strategy, which enlists a sizable number of devout laypeople to serve Jesus through various Church initiatives.
Father McKniff was weakened by a case of typhoid fever by the end of 1993 and had to unwillingly depart for America from Peru for medical treatment. After being admitted to a hospital, he passed away on March 24, 1994. John McKniff is renowned for his passion for missions, concern for the underprivileged, and closeness to God. He was particularly gifted by God, and those closest to him who knew him best—his fellow Augustinians and the people to and with whom he ministered in northern Peru—acknowledged this. They requested that the canonization process be started in order for him to one day be hailed as a hero and a role model for all of God’s People.
