Bernard John Quinn

Bernard John Quinn (January 15, 1888 – April 7, 1940) was an American Catholic priest. He is known for his humanitarian work with African-Americans in New York. His cause for canonization was opened in 2008.

Biography Bernard J. Quinn was born in Newark, New Jersey, to poor Irish immigrants, Bernard and Sarah Quinn.

He entered St. John's Seminary in 1906. He was ordained on June 12, 1912, and was temporarily assigned to several different churches.

In 1922, Quinn established the first church for Black Catholics in Brooklyn, which he had consecrated to St. Peter Claver, which is still in operation and counts among the graduates of its parochial school the civil rights activist and singer Lena Horne. Quinn also included music as part of his ministry. Hundreds of black children joined the church choir, including Horne and Pearl Bailey.

Death In April 1940, he was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital for surgery to treat an abdominal problem. He died of stomach cancer on April 7, 1940, at the age of 52. The next step, following a Vatican investigation commenced in 2019, would be for him to be declared "Venerable" by the pope. He is currently a candidate for sainthood, which if successful would make him the first person from Brooklyn to be canonized by the Catholic Church.