Rev. John W. Eccleston

Rev. John W. Eccleston, of St. Cloud, formerly of Little Falls, entered eternal rest on Thurs., Feb. 9, 2012 at Saint Benedicts Senior Community in St. Cloud, MN. Mass of Christian Burial is 11:00 a.m. Wed., Feb. 15, 2012 in the Sacred Heart Chapel at the Saint Francis Convent in Little Falls, MN, with The Most Reverend John F. Kinney presiding. Burial is in the Saint Francis Convent Cemetery, Little Falls, MN. Receiving of the body is 4:00 p.m. Tues., Feb. 14, 2012 at the Saint Francis Convent in Little Falls followed by visitation until 8:00 p.m. with a Franciscan Wake Service at 7:00 p.m. all at the Convent. Visitation will continue at the Saint Francis Convent Wednesday morning from 9:00 a.m. until the hour of service. Reverend John Wilfrid Eccleston was born on November 17, 1928, in Emporia, KS. He was the son of Wilfrid and Dorothy Burnap Eccleston . He attended Sacred Heart School, Emporia, KS, St. Peter's, Washington D.C., and Eastern High School, Washington, D.C. He also attended St. Charles College, Catonsville, MD and St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, MD. He was ordained on June 4, 1955, by Archbishop Patrick O'Boyle in St. Mathew's Cathedral, Washington, D.C. Before coming to the Saint Cloud Diocese, Father Eccleston served in the Archdioceses of Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD. Father Eccleston was incardinated into the Diocese of Saint Cloud in 1973. He served in the following pastoral assignments: associate pastor at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Staples, May 1961-December 1966; pastor of the Church of St. Edward, Henning, December 1966 -June 1971; pastor of the Church of Ave Maria, Wheaton, June 1971-July 1982. He retired from pastoral ministry in 1982. He served as Chaplain at St. Francis Convent, Little Falls, MN from 1983 until 2002. Father Eccleston is survived by a sister, Theresa, Saint Otto's Care Center, Little Falls, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents.