Father Richard Stafford Poole, CM, passed away on November 1, 2020, in Perryville, Missouri, at the Apostle of Charity Residence. He was 90 years old. He was a Catholic priest, a gifted teacher, an accomplished historian, and a beloved friend.
Father Poole was born on March 6, 1930, in Oxnard, California, to Joseph Poole and Beatrice (Smith) Poole, and he was raised in North Hollywood. After high school he joined the Congregation of the Mission of Saint Vincent de Paul and took his religious vows in 1949. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1952 at St. Mary's of the Barrens Seminary in Perryville, Missouri, and continued his theological studies there. He was ordained in 1956. Father Poole pursued his education, earning from Saint Louis University a master's degree in Spanish literature in 1958 and a doctorate in history in 1961.
Father Poole taught at Cardinal Glennon College in Saint Louis,...
