He was born in New York City, the son and grandson of priests in the Episcopal Church. Through his mother, Marguerite Montgomery Jay, who died in 1934, he was a seventh generation direct descendant of U.S. Founding Father and Chief Justice John Jay, whose name he received in baptism. Until 1941, he was a choir boy and acolyte at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where his father was precentor and headmaster of the Cathedral Choir School.

Following graduation from Harvard University in 1948, he studied Anglican theology in England and at New York’s General Theological Seminary. Ordained an Anglican priest in 1954, he served at parishes for the next six years in New Jersey, New York, Montana and Arizona.

Following entrance into the Roman Catholic Church at Easter 1960, he lived for 10 years in Germany, teaching and studying Catholic theology at the University of Münster, which awarded him a doctorate degree in theology in 1969 for his dissertation: “Stewards of the Lord: A Reappraisal of Anglican Orders.” Following his precedent-shattering conditional ordination to the Catholic priesthood in 1968, he returned to the United States in 1970 to teach at Saint Louis University and serve parishes in the archdiocese of St Louis. He was director of the Renew Office, consultant to the archbishop for theological affairs, vice chancellor and chaplain of Mother of Good Counsel Home in the 1980s. He served as pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Arnold, 1988-89, and St. Alban Roe in Glencoe, 1989-91. He later served again as theological consultant to the archbishop with residence at Christ the King Parish. He retired in 2015.

He was the author of more than 100 articles and 12 published books on topics such as Church history, preaching and priestly spirituality, including his autobiography, “No Ordinary Fool: A Testimony to Grace,” published in 2008. Asked in his later years whether he had ever regretted his decision for priesthood, which he made at age 12, he replied: “Priesthood, like every vocation, has brought me great joy, as well as sorrow. But I have never regretted my early decision, not one single day.”

Burial was private; a memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date.