Rev. James A. Coriden
Deceased: 2025-02-07
Diocese: GARY
Seminary Graduation Year: 1958
CSM Graduation Year: 1961
James A. Coriden, of Washington, DC, was a native of Hammond, Indiana. He was educated at Central Catholic High School (now Bishop Noll Institute) in that city. In preparation for Roman Catholic priestly ordination, he entered Our Lady of the Lake Seminary in Wawasee, Indiana, for two years followed by two years at Saint Meinrad Seminary in Saint Meinrad, Indiana, and received a B.A. degree from that school in 1954. He was then selected to attend the North American College in Rome, Italy. There he was enrolled at the Pontifical Gregorian University and received an S.T.L. degree in theology (1958) and the J.C.D degree in Canon Law (1961). In 1957 he was ordained to the Presbyterate for the Diocese of Gary, Indiana. After ordination, he served the Diocese of Gary as a member of the Marriage Tribunal (1961-1968) and as Co-chancellor of the Diocese (1966-1968). In 1972 he obtained a J.D. degree from The Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and was admitted to the Bar in the State of Indiana and the District of Columbia
In 1968 he was invited to join the faculty of the Department of Theology at The Catholic University of America as an Assistant Professor and later was promoted to Associate Professor of Canon Law. From 1973-1975 he served as Department Chair. In 1975 he was appointed Academic Dean and Professor of Canon Law at the Washington Theological Union (WTU), a Roman Catholic school of theology dedicated to educating lay students and priestly candidates from religious communities. He remained in that role until 1995 when he was appointed Dean Emeritus, while continuing to teach as Professor of Canon Law until that institution closed in 2012. During his tenure at WTU he served in various administrative capacities at the Association of Theological Schools, the Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association, and the Washington Theological Consortium. A member of the Canon Law Society of America from 1961 until his death, he received the “Role of Law Award” in 1987, the highest honor that is bestowed by that Society. He was also a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America and was honored with the “John Courtney Murray Award for Excellence in Theology” in 2011. He was the author of several books including: “The Once and Future Church: A Communion of Freedom” (1971); “An Introduction to Canon Law” (1991-2017), which was published through three editions; “The Rights of Catholics in the Church” (2007); and “The Holy Spirit and the Evolving Church” (2017). He also coordinated the English translation of the Revised Code (1983), was a Co-Editor of the “Commentary on the Code of Canon Law” (1980-85) and Co-editor of the “New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law” (1995-2000). He lectured widely to Roman Catholic lay groups as well as Canon Law organizations and wrote numerous articles in the field of Canon Law. He saw his role as a canonist to be two-fold: to listen carefully to the pastoral needs of the people and to try to interpret Canon Law as a viable response to those needs; and to be an ardent advocate for increasing the legal role of women in the Church. In addition to his scholarly work, he was devoted to pastoral ministry and was a member of the “Padre Cadre” serving the NOVA Community in Arlington, Virginia. Known for his gentle and self-effacing sense of humor he was the model of kindness to everyone he met
He is predeceased by his parents, Guy E. Coriden and Lucy (Lamb) Coriden, three elder brothers, Guy E. Coriden Jr., John Coriden and Paul Coriden, nephew, Terry Coriden and niece, Anne Marie Carpenedo. He is survived by nephews, John Coriden, and Kevin Coriden, nieces Catherine Lardner, and Susanne Coriden; sister-in-law, Barbara Coriden, and Johann Klodzen, she who was his dearest friend for over 50 years. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint Raphael’s Church in Potomac, Maryland later in the year.
