Brother James Townsend, O.F.M. Cap. died Sunday at the Vincentian Home. He was 84.

Brother James was born to Patrick and Catherine (Hawkene) Townsend on Jan. 27, 1927, in Bristol, Bucks County.

He is survived by his brother, Robert Townsend of Middleburg, Fla.

The story of Brother Jim’s life is told in the biography, “The Prisoner: An Invitation to Hope,” written in 2005 by Rev. Paul F. Everett. To know Brother Jim is to know his story of redemption.

Later in life, Brother Jim was well known for his ministry to prisoners, having been incarcerated himself from 1947 until 1967 at Western Penitentiary in Pittsburgh and Rockview State Correctional institution in Bellefonte. Shortly after his arrival at Rockview in 1961, James became acquainted with the prison chaplain, Father Richard Walsh and a friendship developed that would change the prisoner’s life. While in the latter years of his own imprisonment, James underwent a dramatic conversion, which eventually led to his entering the Capuchin Order several years after his release from prison in 1967.

Instrumental in his vocational discernment was Capuchin friar, Father Lester Knoll. He encouraged James to become a friar and remained a friend and mentor for the rest of Brother Jim’s life.

James was invested in the Capuchin habit on Feb. 6, 1972, at the St. Conrad Friary in Annapolis, Md. Exactly one year later he made his first vows.

Brother Jim’s first assignment was as maintenance helper at the Capuchin seminary in Herman. On Feb. 9, 1976, Brother Jim made his perpetual profession of vows as a Capuchin friar. Subsequently, he performed fraternal service at the novitiate in Annapolis, at the St. Paul Friary in Cleveland, Ohio, at the St. Conrad Friary in Allison Park, and at the Capuchin College in Washington, D.C.

In 1989, Brother Jim became a founding member of the Capuchin Hermitage in Herman, along with Father Lester and Father Cyrus Gallagher, Later. the Hermitage moved to Wheeling, W.Va., where he remained until he returned to fraternal service in Herman in 2001.

Brother Jim was much loved at the St. Mary Parish in Herman.

Throughout his life as a friar, Brother Jim often traveled to prisons to speak of his conversion and to give courage and hope to the incarcerated. He returned to Rockview frequently and touched many lives there. Brother Jim was appreciated by both inmates and staff.

In 2005, Brother Jim was assigned to St. Augustine Friary in Pittsburgh. Deteriorating health required more intensive care at Vincentian Home in January of this year. He enjoyed and was grateful for the kindness and attention he received from the staff at Vincentian.

TOWNSEND — Visitation and viewing for Brother James Townsend, O.F.M. Cap. who died Sunday, June 12, 2011, will be today from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the St Augustine Friary, 221 36th St., Pittsburgh, where a wake service will be conducted at 8 p.m.The body will be transferred to the St. Mary Church in Herman Wednesday morning, where viewing and visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the funeral. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. at the church. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.Arrangements are by the

D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory, Lawrenceville; and information also is available at www.dalessandroltd.com.