John Barry Wheaton

With profound sadness we announce the peaceful passing of Barry on Saturday, July 27, 2024 at the age of 92. Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, on October 5th, 1931, he was the son of the late Teresa (Dipenta) and Jack Wheaton. Barry loss both parents early in his life, his mother when he was 7, his father at 15. After their deaths, Barry was forever grateful to his many relatives who welcomed him into their homes and cared for him into adulthood, in particular his grandmother Dipenta, his uncle Frank Wheaten, aunt Helen and their children. Barry received his early education in Sydney, then completed high school and a Bachelor of Arts degree at College Sainte Anne, Church Point, Nova Scotia. In College, he excelled academically, distinguished himself in sports, played trombone in the college band, and took piano lessons. In 1950, he entered the Eudist Fathers seminary in Quebec City, to study for the priesthood. After spending Six years in novitiate training, philosophical and theological studies at the seminary and Laval university, he was ordained to the priesthood as a member of the Eudist Fathers on November 10, 1957. He received graduate degrees in theology and biblical studies after four years in Rome, Germany and Jerusalem. He then taught Old and New Testaments at Holy Heart Seminary, Halifax, from 1961 until its closure in 1970. His students remember him fondly for inspiring in them a love of Scripture. During this period at Holy Heart, Barry served as member and secretary of the Seminary Council and academic Dean, taught summer school at St. FX and Mount St. Vincent universities from 1964 to 1970, he also served as chaplain to Sisters and children at St. Joseph’s Orphanage, and as assistant for weekend ministry in the Halifax diocese. He also conducted retreats for priests, sisters, and university students. After the closure of Holy Heart Seminary because of the gradual decrease of candidates for the Roman Catholic priesthood, Barry became a founding member of the faculty of the ecumenical Atlantic School of Theology (AST), which brought together the faculties of Holy Heart, King’s Divinity, and Pine Hill Divinity. After serving as chairman of the AST planning committee in 1970-71, he was chair of the New Testament department for three years, and part time professor of New Testament department for three years, and part-time professor of New Testament until 1980, and served on AST senate and Board of Governors. shortly before 1970, he became a member of the Atlantic Institute of Pastoral Training, was member/chairman of its Graduate Studies Committee and appraiser of numerous theses until 1992. He was elected Life Member of the Institute in 1993.

After the Second Vatican Council ended in 1965, Barry became heavily involved in Roman Catholic Church renewal until the late seventies, and made major contributions to theological education in English speaking Roman Catholic Dioceses of the Atlantic provinces after Vatican II. Engaged in the renewal process of his own religious order of Eudists he was elected to provincial and general Renewal Chapters, having served on a number of prepatory commissions. Locally, he was appointed to the Halifax Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission, the Ecumenical Commission, the Religious Education Commission, and the Halifax Council for Campus Ministry. He participated in a series of renewal lectures for lay people in Halifax, conducted liturgical and catechetical institutes for priests and sisters in the Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Alberta and Bermuda.

While Barry was still teaching at Holy Heart seminary, he was hired by Mount St. Vincent university in 1966 to chair the departments of philosophy and theology for reorganization, and to teach summer school. He subsequently taught full-time and chaired the department of Religious Studies for four terms, having attained the rank of Full Professor in 1973. He was elected to numerous academic and inter-university committees, the Senate and Board of Governors, served as secretary of Senate and Mount representative to Dalhousie Senate and Board. He also served on the on the Dartmouth Mental Health Board, had membership in four Learned Societies in the field of religion, and taught as a visiting lecturer at Xavier College one semester in 1971. As department head, he initiated many new courses, including Business Ethics in cooperation with the Business department, and a certificate program in adult education entitled Christianity for Adults. During this period, he produced a number of publications in English and French, including liturgical Latin Translations. It was while teaching at the Mount in 1977 that Barry resigned from the Eudist Fathers and the priesthood. There too he met Elizabeth Weber, who was teaching in the Business department. They eventually realized they were meant for each other were married in 1978; they grew to be cherished best friends, were entirely devoted to each other, and grew to be cherished best friends, were entirely devoted to each other, and their union brought many years of happiness to both of them. It also resulted in an interdisciplinary research project on resigned Roman Catholic priests of the Atlantic Area, supported by a Social Sciences and humanities Research Council of Canada grant. As a theologian, Barry always had a deep commitment in justice and up until and after his retirement he continued to be involved with resigned priests’ organizations, which attempted to remedy the Vatican’s inappropriate treatment of them. Barry retired from teaching in 1995, and was declared Professor Emeritus by the Mount Saint Vincent University Senate.

Barry had many diverse interests throughout his lifetime. He always loved the arts, and for the last half of his life was a talented sculptor in wood. He had a passion for woodworking and liked nothing better than having a piece of good wood in his hands, and creating something beautiful. He took up wood sculpting while in the priesthood and developed as an artist during his married life, until finally arthritis got the best of him. Among his twenty-some significant pieces, four of which were major commissions, two sanctuary size church crucifixes (one hanging in St. Michael’s and the other now hanging in the reception chapel of St. Benedict, Halifax), a fourteen foot deep relief Resurrection panel (in a Quebec city chapel), and the Mount St. Vincent University symbolic mace. Among Barry’s other projects was his beautifully detailed Christmas Village display, which he finally donated to the Cancer Society’s Lodge That Gives, located in Halifax. Barry devoted a few years of his retirement to researching the genealogy of his family, tracing his ancestors back to New York city during the war of independence, and distributed copies of the self-made book to his relatives. Barry traveled extensively, first as a young student priest in Europe and the Near East; and then with Liz to Florida, the Canadian and American West, Alaska, the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the near East. His favorite places were the Canadian Rockies and the island of Santorini. He liked photography and had a camera in his hands during all his travels, even as a student. His extensive collection of beautiful decorative destination plates, which he collected with his loving wife Liz, was a constant and pleasant reminder of younger years of travel. He had an intense interest in history, physics, astronomy, and the relationship between science and religion, which were often reflected in his teachings. He was a star-gazer and had a professional telescope, which he finally donated to the Royal Astronomical Society together with his collection of astronomical literature. He delighted telling people how thrilled he was when he first saw the moons of Jupiter through his scope. Barry also had a deep concern for other people’s struggles and his generous spirit was evidenced by the numerous charities to which he and Liz gave continuously during their married life, especially children’s charities. Having had some musical background, he enjoyed many years of chorus singing with the Dartmouth Barbershoppers, and took great pleasure in their companionship. Barry was a dog person. He had six of them during his married years; he loved them, cared for them, played with them, and walked them every day. They certainly gave Liz and him oodles of pleasure and affection. Finally, he was a good bridge player, liked fishing, cooking and watching TV mysteries and sports.

Barry was a softspoken and gentle man, committed to truth and justice, who lived his life with kindness and generosity. He was a loving, caring husband, completely devoted to Liz, whom he cherished deeply. He had a great passion for learning, especially religion; whose goodness he explained and whose flaws he exposed. For those who had the privilege of knowing him, they knew a genuine, honest, and generous man.

Barry is survived by his wife Elizabeth. Barry was predeceased by his sister Shirley (John) Dean, and survived by his brother David (Mary Lou) Clifford, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice.