Father Thomas J. Quinlan, Jr. Papers, 1943-2009 | Sargeant Memorial Collection

By Will Hopkins

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Collection Overview

Title: Father Thomas J. Quinlan, Jr. Papers, 1943-2009

Predominant Dates:2005

ID: 001/01/MSS 0000-229

Primary Creator: Quinlan, Thomas J., Jr. (1929-2012)

Extent: 11.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Arranged by record type, then in chronological order. Where possible, original order was maintained as found in Quinlan's scrapbooks and files. Series 1: Correspondence, Series 2: Church Documents, Series 3: Scrapbooks, Series 4: Miscellaneous, Series 5: Audiovisual Materials.

Date Acquired: 03/22/2009

Subjects: Catholic Church, Catholic Church. Diocese of Richmond (Va.), Catholics, Chincoteague Island (Va.), Norfolk (Va.), Poquoson (Va.), Portsmouth (Va.), Retirement, Schools, Virginia--Church history, Virginia Beach (Va.), Williamsburg (Va.)

Forms of Material: Church bulletins, Clippings (information artifacts), Correspondence, DVDs, Envelopes, Magazines (periodicals), Newsletters, Notes, Photographs, Plaques (flat objects), Poems, Scrapbooks, Yearbooks

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Father Thomas J. Quinlan, Jr. Papers include personal and official correspondence, church-related documents and publications, scrapbooks (mostly newspaper clippings), photographs, DVDs and videotapes, and several pieces of memorabilia.

Father Thomas J. Quinlan, Jr., also known as "TQ", was a Roman Catholic priest at several Virginia churches from 1958 to 2005. These included St. Mary's in Norfolk, Blessed Sacrament in Alexandria, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in Tabb, and Holy Family in Virginia Beach. Quinlan was known for his unconventional preaching style and his sometimes controversial interpretations of the Catholic liturgy -- interpretations that some viewed as heretical. He also courted troubles for his willingness to challenge church leaders and his often direct style in dealing with laity. Despite these traits, Quinlan engendered great loyalty from his parishioners and built an admirable record of increasing energy and participation in his assigned churches. TQ died in Virginia Beach on April 23, 2012 -- the death day of Miguel de Cervantes, the creator of Don Quixote, a character with whom Quinlan claimed a deep kinship.

Biographical Note

Father Thomas Joseph Quinlan, Jr. was a Catholic priest who served at various churches in Virginia from the 1950s to 2005, including St. Mary's in Norfolk, Virginia and several others in the Tidewater area. Quinlan was born on April 23, 1929 in Chicopee, Massachusetts and was ordained at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Richmond, Virginia in 1958. He spent most of his career within the Richmond Diocese. A series of controversial sermons and writings by Quinlan, along with continued confrontations with church officials, finally led to his forced retirement in 2005. TQ died in Virginia Beach, Virginia on April 23, 2012. According to his wishes, Quinlan was cremated, his ashes poured into a "Chock-Full-O-Nuts" coffee can, and placed at the columbarium of St. Kateri Tekakwitha parish in Poquoson, Virginia.

Subject/Index Terms

Catholic Church
Catholic Church. Diocese of Richmond (Va.)
Catholics
Chincoteague Island (Va.)
Norfolk (Va.)
Poquoson (Va.)
Portsmouth (Va.)
Retirement
Schools
Virginia--Church history
Virginia Beach (Va.)
Williamsburg (Va.)

Administrative Information

Repository: Sargeant Memorial Collection

Access Restrictions: This collection is open to all researchers. Some materials may be restricted due to privacy concerns.

Use Restrictions: The status of copyright for these materials is governed by Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.). Copyright restrictions may apply.

Acquisition Source: Father Thomas J. Quinlan, Jr. by donation

Preferred Citation: Father Thomas J. Quinlan, Jr. Papers, MSS 0000-229, Sargeant Memorial Collection, Norfolk Public Library, Norfolk, Virginia.

Processing Information: The collection was processed and entered into Archon in November-December 2017.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: Correspondence, 2005-2006, undated],
[Box 2: Correspondence, 1972-2004, undated],
[Box 3: Correspondence / Church Documents, 1957-2007],
[Box 4: Church Documents, 1943-2009],
[Box 5: Scrapbooks, 1958-1979],
[Box 6: Scrapbooks / Miscellaneous, 1958-2005],
[Box 7: Miscellaneous, 1947-2007],
[Box 8: Photographs, 2005],
[Box 9: Scrapbooks, 1971-2000],
[Box 10: Scrapbooks, 2000-2008, undated],
[Box 11: Audiovisual Materials, 1988-2005],
[[information restricted]],
[All]

Box 4: Church Documents, 1943-2009

Folder 1: 40th anniversary of Quinlan ordination, 1998 May 3

DVDs originally filed with these documents are found in Box 11 Items 3 and 4.

Item 1: Booklet, "Quinlan Quixote", 1998 May 3: Assorted letters, clippings, and writings.
Item 2: Hymns, undated
Item 3: Event program, 1998 May 3
Item 4: Photograph of Quinlan, undated

Folder 2: 50th anniversary of Quinlan ordination, 2008 May 1

Includes photograph, invitation, letterhead and program.

Folder 3: Proposal to split the Diocese of Richmond, 2001-2004

Item 1: Preliminary proposal and plan, 2001 September 19: Includes 2004 cover memorandum.
Item 2: Assorted letters, 2001
Item 3: Working notes and Emails, 2001

Folder 4: "T.Q. Notes", 2000 June - 2003 February

Includes drafts of these notes, which were informal letters to his parish. Also includes a June 24, 2000 article from the Virginian-Pilot.

Folder 5: Miscellaneous church publications, 1957-1981

Item 1: Vox Regis Magazine, 1957 May: Includes article by Quinlan.
Item 2: Vox Regis Magazine, 1958 Christmas
Item 3: Commemoration of the Centennial of St. Vincent de Paul Church, 1981

Folder 6: Miscellaneous correspondence and church-related documents, 1977-2003

From a file marked "Church Structure and Governance."

Item 1: Various letters and church documents, 1973-2006: Includes arrangements for Quinlan to appear on Phil Donahue show in 1987.
Item 2: Copies of "T.Q. Notes", undated
Item 3: Miscellaneous letters, 1973-2006
Item 4: Correspondence related to installation of Bishop DiLorenzo, 2004
Item 5: Clipping and medical report, 2006 April 14, 2009 March 22: The 2006 medical report. Included with it in the original file was a 2009 column in the Virginian-Pilot about Quinlan's transfer of his personal papers to the Sargeant Memorial Collection.
Item 6: Documents related to Auxiliary Bishop David Foley's appointment to Richmond Diocese, 1975-1986: Includes memorandum by Quinlan.

Folder 7: "T.Q. Notes Not Quips", undated

Assorted one-page notes.

Folder 8: Assorted news clippings and church documents, 1943-1982

Several of the materials from Quinlan's time at St. Mary's Church in Norfolk, including news reports on a 1980 rectory fire. Also includes photos, an "Ode to T.Q." from Bishop Sullivan, and a 1943 essay by Quinlan. These materials were filed together in the original collection.

Folder 9: Annual Christmas letters and related materials, 1977-2009