Along the Way: The Life, Lessons, and Legacy of Father Hugh F. Crean

A collection of essays and meditations by the people who have been most influenced by the life and ministry of Father Hugh F. Crean, who was often described as a “priest’s priest.” With more than twenty of Crean’s original homilies, the book affords parishioners and friends who knew him an opportunity to find comfort in a voice that uplifted and sustained them week after week.

A collection of essays and meditations by the people who have been most influenced by the life and ministry of Father Hugh F. Crean, who was often described as a “priest’s priest.” With more than twenty of Crean’s original homilies, the book affords parishioners and friends who knew him an opportunity to find comfort in a voice that uplifted and sustained them week after week.

Appealing to both the person in the pew and professional minister, Along the Way: The Life, Lessons, and Legacy of Father Hugh F. Crean explores the legacy of Vatican II (1962-1965) and its unfinished agenda. Written by a diverse group of contributors, including noted Church historian David O’Brien and sociologist Mary Johnson, SNDdeN, the essays included in Along the Way challenge readers to reconsider the essence and form of priesthood, religious life, and ministry while pointing to themes Crean delivered throughout his 53 years of ministry.

The book was prepared under the auspices of the Saint Augustine Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture at the College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where Crean served as a faculty member.

Father Hugh F. Crean (1937-2015) was a native of Westfield, Massachusetts. Ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Springfield in 1962, Crean was deeply committed to the process of renewal and reform to which Vatican II (1962-1965) had invited the Church. Upon completion of doctoral studies at the University of Louvain in 1973, Crean taught at the College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, Massachusetts. It was during his years at Elms College that Crean emerged as a popular director of retreats for priests living throughout the United States and Canada. In the Diocese of Springfield, Crean served in many leadership positions, including director of continuing education for priests and vicar for clergy. First and foremost a parish priest, Crean found great joy in serving as pastor of three parishes. It was through the lens of a parish priest that Crean sought to understand a rapidly changing Church and world. Following a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in 2005, Crean retired from active ministry. He died in 2015 while living at Providence Place in Holyoke, Massachusetts.