Carmelite Father Valentine Boyle, who served as associate pastor of St. Agnes Parish and on the Diocese of Phoenix Tribunal, as well as in the Native American missions, died at 97 on Feb. 1, at Scottsdale Square Health Center in Phoenix.
Fr. Valentine Boyle, O. Carm
Born: June 29, 1920 in Pittsburgh
Professed Solemn Vows: 1940
Ordained: June 11, 1946
Service in the Diocese of Phoenix
- St. Agnes Parish, 1975-?
- Diocese of Phoenix Tribunal
- Administrator of Good Shepherd Mission in New River, 1985-?
- Retired to the St. Thérèse Priory in Phoenix in 2003
Died: Feb. 1, 2018
“He was very quiet, but had a strong presence and impacted a lot of people, not only among us, but to the people he served,” said prior provincial Fr. William J. Harry, OCarm.
Fr. Valentine was born Leonard Raymond Boyle to John Joseph and Frances Barbara Boyle June 29, 1920, in Pittsburgh. He attended Mount Carmel Junior Seminary and Mount Carmel College in Niagara Falls, Ontario, then professed vows in 1940, taking the name Valentine. On Aug. 15, 1943, he made his solemn profession with the Carmelites. He attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and was ordained a priest June 11, 1946.
As a priest, Fr. Valentine taught and served at a parish in Chicago, and served at parishes in Joliet, Illinois, and in Leavenworth, Kansas.
In 1975 Fr. Valentine moved to Phoenix, where he served at St. Agnes and on the tribunal.
“He worked to bring healing to marriages,” Fr. Harry said.
In 1985, while working with the tribunal, he was appointed administrator of Good Shepherd Mission in New River. He also assisted the Native American Missions on the Gila River/Pima Reservation, his “most enjoyable work,” according to Fr. Harry.
In 2003, Fr. Valentine retired to the Carmelite Community at St. Thérèse Priory in Phoenix, where he remained until his death.
