Father Benjamin Bowling, CSP, was born in Hughesville, Maryland, on January 10, 1897, into a well known Eastern Shore family. He attended a local military academy and graduated from Mount Saint Mary's College in 1917.
After hearing a mission given by Paulists Francis Lyons and Robert Skinner, he decided to apply to the Paulist novitiate. Upon ordination as a Catholic priest on September 24, 1921, Fr. Bowling was sent to Rome for advanced theological studies. But in Italy he contracted tuberculosis and, given six months to live, received treatment in Switzerland and then in Colorado. His recovery was slow but complete.
In 1928 Father Bowling became chaplain at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. In October 1936 he moved south to take on the Newman chaplaincy at UCLA. Over the next decade "the old padre," as he was known, purchased a building to serve as the Newman Center on Hilgard Avenue, hosted a popular radio program called "Catholic Answers" and served as the technical consultant on the Bing Crosby movie, "Going My Way."
In 1946 he moved to Baltimore where he founded the Information Center. He moved to the Paulist Center on Park Street in Boston in 1952. In 1955 he moved to the St. Peter's College in Baltimore from where he gave missions throughout the Eastern Seaboard.
In the late 1960's he gave missions out of San Francisco. In 971 he returned to the East Coast for good, assisting at St. Edward's Parish in Bowie, Maryland, while residing at St. Paul's College in Washington, D.C. It was there he died on May 5, 1980, at the age of 83 after 58 years in Paulist ministry.
After hearing a mission given by Paulists Francis Lyons and Robert Skinner, he decided to apply to the Paulist novitiate. Upon ordination as a Catholic priest on September 24, 1921, Fr. Bowling was sent to Rome for advanced theological studies. But in Italy he contracted tuberculosis and, given six months to live, received treatment in Switzerland and then in Colorado. His recovery was slow but complete.
In 1928 Father Bowling became chaplain at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. In October 1936 he moved south to take on the Newman chaplaincy at UCLA. Over the next decade "the old padre," as he was known, purchased a building to serve as the Newman Center on Hilgard Avenue, hosted a popular radio program called "Catholic Answers" and served as the technical consultant on the Bing Crosby movie, "Going My Way."
In 1946 he moved to Baltimore where he founded the Information Center. He moved to the Paulist Center on Park Street in Boston in 1952. In 1955 he moved to the St. Peter's College in Baltimore from where he gave missions throughout the Eastern Seaboard.
In the late 1960's he gave missions out of San Francisco. In 971 he returned to the East Coast for good, assisting at St. Edward's Parish in Bowie, Maryland, while residing at St. Paul's College in Washington, D.C. It was there he died on May 5, 1980, at the age of 83 after 58 years in Paulist ministry.
Father Benjamin Bowling, CSP, was born in Hughesville, Maryland, on January 10, 1897, into a well known Eastern Shore family. He attended a local military academy and graduated from Mount Saint Mary's College in 1917.
After hearing a mission given by Paulists Francis Lyons and Robert Skinner, he decided to apply to the Paulist novitiate. Upon ordination as a Catholic priest on September 24, 1921, Fr. Bowling was sent to Rome for advanced theological studies. But in Italy he contracted tuberculosis and, given six months to live, received treatment in Switzerland and then in Colorado. His recovery was slow but complete.
In 1928 Father Bowling became chaplain at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. In October 1936 he moved south to take on the Newman chaplaincy at UCLA. Over the next decade "the old padre," as he was known, purchased a building to serve as the Newman Center on Hilgard Avenue, hosted a popular radio program called "Catholic Answers" and served as the technical consultant on the Bing Crosby movie, "Going My Way."
In 1946 he moved to Baltimore where he founded the Information Center. He moved to the Paulist Center on Park Street in Boston in 1952. In 1955 he moved to the St. Peter's College in Baltimore from where he gave missions throughout the Eastern Seaboard.
In the late 1960's he gave missions out of San Francisco. In 971 he returned to the East Coast for good, assisting at St. Edward's Parish in Bowie, Maryland, while residing at St. Paul's College in Washington, D.C. It was there he died on May 5, 1980, at the age of 83 after 58 years in Paulist ministry.
After hearing a mission given by Paulists Francis Lyons and Robert Skinner, he decided to apply to the Paulist novitiate. Upon ordination as a Catholic priest on September 24, 1921, Fr. Bowling was sent to Rome for advanced theological studies. But in Italy he contracted tuberculosis and, given six months to live, received treatment in Switzerland and then in Colorado. His recovery was slow but complete.
In 1928 Father Bowling became chaplain at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. In October 1936 he moved south to take on the Newman chaplaincy at UCLA. Over the next decade "the old padre," as he was known, purchased a building to serve as the Newman Center on Hilgard Avenue, hosted a popular radio program called "Catholic Answers" and served as the technical consultant on the Bing Crosby movie, "Going My Way."
In 1946 he moved to Baltimore where he founded the Information Center. He moved to the Paulist Center on Park Street in Boston in 1952. In 1955 he moved to the St. Peter's College in Baltimore from where he gave missions throughout the Eastern Seaboard.
In the late 1960's he gave missions out of San Francisco. In 971 he returned to the East Coast for good, assisting at St. Edward's Parish in Bowie, Maryland, while residing at St. Paul's College in Washington, D.C. It was there he died on May 5, 1980, at the age of 83 after 58 years in Paulist ministry.
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