Rev. Msgr. James J. Flood dies

The Rev. Msgr. James J. Flood, who served a number of parishes in the Philadelphia area in 52 years as a Roman Catholic priest and taught at Cardinal Dougherty High School and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, died of lung cancer on Monday. He was 78.

Monsignor Flood was pastor emeritus of St. Margaret Parish in Narberth.

He was born in Chicago to James Flood and the former Mary Ellen Danks. He attended St. Gregory Parochial School in Chicago and St. Matthew Parochial School in Philadelphia.

He attended La Salle College High School and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary before entering the North American Pontifical College in Rome. He was ordained there on Dec. 20, 1958, by the Most Rev. Martin J. O'Connor.

He served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Philadelphia, St. Martin of Tours, New Hope, and St. Anastasia in Newtown Square.

In 1963, he received a doctorate in systematic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

He was a member of the faculty of Cardinal Dougherty High School and member of the faculty and vice rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

He served as pastor of St. Margaret Parish in Narberth from 1985 to 2002, when he was named pastor emeritus. He also served as parochial vicar with senior-priest status at St. Timothy Parish in Philadelphia.

He is survived by a brother, Thomas.

Services: Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, will celebrate a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. today at St. Timothy Church, Levick and Battersby streets. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Yeadon.