By Brendan Browne
The Rev. Michael Mullen, a St. John’s University priest known best for his involvement in a humanitarian ham radio organization, died June 13 at the age of 87.
Mullen taught for decades at St. John’s, chairing the Humanities Department and supervising St. John’s students doing missionary work in Central America. He also developed a local speakers bureau for the Catholic Church in Latin America and consulted bishops on religious education in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Panama.
“He worked at St. John’s for years, but his real focus was always developing communications techniques for spreading the faith,” said the Rev. Bernard Tracey, his friend and Vincentian superior.
Ham radio, for Mullen, was one of those ways of spreading religion and performing service work, Tracey said. As a major figure in the International Mission Radio Association, he helped relief agencies communicate via radio in response to natural disasters and lesser emergencies.
For his work, Mullen won an award from the American Radio Relay League and on campus, he served as the moderator of the university’s radio club.
Mullen, an adjunct professor, also became president of the Catholic Audiovisual Educators Association and used religious films to teach his faith. He produced two filmstrips, one of which was shown in three-quarters of Catholic parishes in the United States and at the request of the pope translated into Spanish and Portuguese for viewing in Latin America.
Mullen also made numerous appearances on television and radio shows, such as NBC’s “Catholic Hour” and another religious program on WNEW-TV.
The priest was the oldest of eight children born to Irish immigrant parents in Woburn, Mass. In 1938, he entered Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northhampton, Penn. and he was ordained as a priest three years later by the archbishop of Philadelphia.
Mullen earned a master’s degree in theology from Catholic University and a doctorate from Fordham University.
In 1991, he was awarded the St. John’s University President’s Medal on the 50th anniversary of his ordination. He also was named in the international Who’s Who in Education.
Mullen spent the last two years of his life under medical care in Philadelphia, Tracey said. Services for Mullen were held June 18 in St. John’s chapel.
Reach reporter Brendan Browne by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 155.
