John W. Collins was born on February 20, 1905, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of John A. and Sarah Campbell Collins, the oldest of seven children. He attended Cathedral High School in Grand Rapids, went to St. Joseph Seminary, and later to the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he received his Master’s degree in religion.

Collins was ordained as a priest on April 8, 1934, in the Grand Rapids Diocese and celebrated his first mass there on April 15, 1934. Father Collins served parishes in Saginaw and Grand Rapids before coming to Beloit.

When World War II broke out, Father Collins joined the U.S. Army. He attended a special program for chaplains at Harvard University and served in that capacity for three and a half years, including duty in the Southwest Pacific area.

Father Collins came to Beloit in 1950 and served St. Thomas Catholic Church for twenty-six years as Associate Pastor. He also enjoyed teaching religion classes at St. Thomas Junior High School, which later became Beloit Catholic High School.

Parishioners of St. Thomas remember Father Collins for walking up and down the aisles during services, passing out hymnals, and keeping the singing alive and spirited. He had an effervescent personality and was gifted with a great sense of humor.

He did not confine his ministry only to St. Thomas Church. He served as an unofficial chaplain of the Beloit Police Department and was made an honorary member of the police force for his untiring efforts on their behalf.

He was a life member of the Knights of Columbus and the Sierra Club. Father Collins received many accolades during his lifetime. He was named an “Outstanding Beloiter” by the Beloit Daily News in 1967. Radio Station WBEL gave him a special “Community Service Award” in 1973. Still, he always remained a very humble and modest person.

Father Collins is best remembered for his many years of dedication to the visitation of patients at Beloit Memorial Hospital. Naturally, he called on the members of his own church, but his compassion for the ill and elderly went far beyond that limitation. As he would walk down the halls of the hospital, he would stop at every door to offer a friendly greeting to the patients in every room along the way. It didn’t make any difference if the person was Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or even unchurched – Father Collins spent hours and hours of his time every day cheering up others when they needed cheering up most.

Even in his later years when his own health was deteriorating, he had volunteer friends transport him to and from the hospital so he could continue his unwavering dedication to visiting “his” sick.

In 1976, he was transferred to a church in DeForest, Wisconsin, where he served as assistant pastor for two years before returning to Beloit to spend his remaining years in the community he loved and which truly loved him.

Father Collins died of natural causes on Sunday morning, November 28, 1982, at his home in Beloit at the age of 77.

Perhaps this unique individual can best be pictured through his own words on a special day in his life. City Manager Herb Holt had proclaimed May 27, 1975, as “Father Collins Day” in Beloit – and he accepted the tribute with these comments:

“I just go along and get the rewards. I would rather have people together than have gifts of recognition. The reactions of people are what reward me. You can throw compliments out the window. A priest has to serve people. He’s not for himself.”