Father Arthur F. Allie, MM

Born: August 17, 1897
Ordained: June 16, 1935
Died: August 22, 1955

Arthur F. Allie was born at Two Rivers, Wisconsin on August 17, 1897. He was the sixth oldest of a family of thirteen children. After finishing high school he attended the University of Wisconsin for one year “on little or no money but an abundance of optimism.” Being gifted with a fine voice, Arthur signed up with a male quartet at the University and the following summer toured the South on the famous Radcliffe Catauqua circuit. During the first World War his singing ability helped him to secure an assignment to the Camp Personnel Division.

Later, after a course at the Institute of Musical Art in New York City, he served as Supervisor of Music in the public schools of Garwood and Springfield, N.J., later attaining the same position in Brooklyn, N.Y.

In 1928, when, as he wrote: “everything was going along nicely and financially,” a childhood ambition to be a priest reasserted itself, and Arthur entered the seminary at Mt St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md. As a seminarian he studied for two summers at Pius X School of Music. It was there that he made the acquaintance of several Maryknollers. A visit to Maryknoll and correspondence with one of the students turned his interests to the missions. He transferred to Maryknoll at the end of Philosophy and was ordained on June 16, 1935. During his years as a seminarian he directed the weekly classes in Plain Chant.

After three years as assistant to Fr. Cummings at the San Francisco Procure, Father Allie was assigned to Korea. After his repatriation on the Gripsholm in 1942 he was assigned to Guatemala as Superior of our first group there. In 1944 he was named First Consultor to the Mexico Guatemala Society Superior and the following year was elected by the group as Delegate to the 1946 Chapter. In 1947 he was appointed Society Superior for Central America. Later, in 1950, he was made group Superior in Chile and in 1954 was appointed Local Superior and Director of the language school in Cochabamba.

Declining health made necessary Father’s return to the States late in 1954. He died on August 22, 1955 at Ossining Hospital. His Funeral was at Maryknoll on the 24th and his burial followed in our cemetery.