Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, on April 27, 1874, Richard Cartwright joined the Paulists following his older brother William, and Fr. James Walsh, a family friend and founder of the Maryknoll community. He made his first profession on December 14, 1904 and was ordained on June 14, 1905 with classmates Peter Regan, Orison McMullen & Patrick Brady.
His first assignment was to the Chicago mission band, often working with his life-long friend Fr. James Gillis. In 1910 he briefly returned to Washington, D.C. as Novice Master at St. Thomas College before being appointed pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church in New York City in 1912 where he remained for seven years as a close advisor to Paulist Superior John J. Hughes.
He returned to the Chicago mission band in 1919 and traveled throughout North America. Tired from the many years of hard travel, he settled in Washington, D.C. in 1925 as professor of homiletics at the Mission House on the campus of the Catholic University of America. Using his long-honed skills he prepared hundreds of Catholic priests for the mission circuit.
He became Superior of St. Paul's College in 1928 but returned to the Mission House as rector and editor of "The Missionary" in 1934 only to see the House shut down permanently in 1942 for lack of students. He continued to live and work at St. Paul's College as professor of spiritual theology and student confessor until illness forced his retirement in the early 1950's. He passed away in New York at the age of 82 after 51 years as a Paulist priest.
Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, on April 27, 1874, Richard Cartwright joined the Paulists following his older brother William, and Fr. James Walsh, a family friend and founder of the Maryknoll community. He made his first profession on December 14, 1904 and was ordained on June 14, 1905 with classmates Peter Regan, Orison McMullen & Patrick Brady.
His first assignment was to the Chicago mission band, often working with his life-long friend Fr. James Gillis. In 1910 he briefly returned to Washington, D.C. as Novice Master at St. Thomas College before being appointed pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church in New York City in 1912 where he remained for seven years as a close advisor to Paulist Superior John J. Hughes.
He returned to the Chicago mission band in 1919 and traveled throughout North America. Tired from the many years of hard travel, he settled in Washington, D.C. in 1925 as professor of homiletics at the Mission House on the campus of the Catholic University of America. Using his long-honed skills he prepared hundreds of Catholic priests for the mission circuit.
He became Superior of St. Paul's College in 1928 but returned to the Mission House as rector and editor of "The Missionary" in 1934 only to see the House shut down permanently in 1942 for lack of students. He continued to live and work at St. Paul's College as professor of spiritual theology and student confessor until illness forced his retirement in the early 1950's. He passed away in New York at the age of 82 after 51 years as a Paulist priest.
