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Father Glynn

Outspoken and openhearted, Father John Glynn is as much an Ojai institution as he is one of classical education's standard-bearers. His career as a teacher began in 1940, at St. Augustine High School in San Diego.

"I was Vice-Principal there, in charge of behavior, for 17 years," he recalls. "In a Catholic high school, this was for offenses outside the classroom, mostly outside of school. I liked that part of it all right, promoting proper behavior. When an offense was proved, a judgment was passed. I enforced discipline with appropriate penalties. Boys respond better to penalty — the worst thing you can do is stand in favor of someone."

Chuckling, he adds, "Boys are boys; they do crazy things without reflecting. You can't crucify them."

To "help the boys let off steam," he initiated a social club, which he ran for nearly seven years. "We put on dances once a month, inviting the four Catholic girls' high schools in the area. And, since we were in this really nice, very safe neighborhood and provided all the supervision — from about seven until one in the morning — well, this was made to order for the girls' and boys' parents. They were really appreciative." The club was even more of a success with students. "We always got an outstanding band, top-notch entertainment. 'Father,' they'd say, 'the music's great. We have another winner.' And we charged 75 cents to get in," he smiles, "so it's not like we were trying to make money. I was deep into all that stuff, like the themes we had for different dances. The 'Shamrock Shag,' for our March (St. Patrick's Day) dance; I came up with that one."

Father Glynn's history with the Ojai Valley began in 1959: He served as Villanova's headmaster until 1965 and then again from 1974 to 1979. In the intervening years, he taught at Matre Dei High School in Santa Ana, then moved to Modesto, where he was one of two co-founding principals of Central Catholic High School and taught religion, in addition to his admitted specialty, Latin.

"I wanted to be a priest from the time I was 12," said Fr. Glynn. "Then, all of the studying, tutoring; well, that's what led to my wanting to be a priest-teacher. We're in school for eight or nine years, under the close supervision of the masters of religion."

His earliest teaching success occurred well before he earned his masters degree in Latin and Greek or even entered college. "My first pupil was this neighborhood boy, Pinky. All the girls loved Pinky.

"Now, in those days, in my New England neighborhood, all of the adults were from Europe. They came here for a better life, and they did everything to make sure their kids would be successful. So this woman, Mrs. Rosenberg, comes up to me one day and says, 'Johnny, I got an awful problem. It's Pinky. He's a nice boy, but he won't study. I know you're a good student; will you tutor him?'"

The boy, he continues, "wasn't stupid. He simply wasn't interested in school. He could do things mechanically, had those skills… he just wasn't into studying. Still, I got him to the point where he learned, basically, how to learn. And he finished high school."

Father Glynn also graduated and, nearly nine years later, at 27, was back in his hometown for an extended visit. "The day I got ordained, I called Pinky, who by then was doing really well for himself, and invited him over. 'Johnny, would you believe it,' he says. 'I've got four taverns now!' He told me he'd like to come by, but it was Sunday and he never had enough help on Sundays."

He assured his old friend — who, he wryly notes, had always been a reluctant pupil — that "I just wanted to chat."

"My parents were very prayerful people. I never heard a 'hell' in my house. The accident with my brother (who lost his leg when he was five) was terrible, of course, and we had our problems, but we were a very solid, religious family."

Father Glynn celebrates his own good fortune every day. "I've enjoyed my life. I'm 88, and I never had a yearning — thank God! — for marriage. I knew what I was giving up to be a priest, but I knew what I was getting. And I've been surrounded by men who are very happy; we have our own lives as seminarians, lots of sports and fun times and so on. While marriage and children are also great, I thank God for choosing me."

In 61 years of teaching, "I never tried to talk a boy into going into the priesthood. I'll talk, but with no embellishments. Boys have to know what they're getting into, and what they'll gain."

Recently, Fr. Glynn moved to St. Joseph's Retirement Center, where, he jokes, "I've got the two best rooms in the house.

"I just finished teaching in June. I didn't ask to quit. Sure, people were asking me, 'how the heck long are you going to keep that up?' Well, I wasn't worked to death, I'll tell you that. In the priesthood, you can never say 'quit.'"

No one would want him to, either.

"I'm happy; I can sleep at night; and I talk a lot with people. I'm glad God
selected me."