Fr. Jim was born June 18, 1954 to Frank and Mary Catherine Orr. He graduated Center Area High School in 1972. He earned a B.A. in Religious Studies from Penn State, a Masters of Divinity from Mt. St. Mary Seminary, and M.A. inFormative Spirituality from Duquesne University. he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1979 and has served in a number of parishes. He has been pastor of Holy Family, New Brighton and currently serves as pastor of St. Albert The Great, Baldwin.
He has served as chaplain to the Catholic War Veterans Association, Mt. Oliver; member of Delta Kappa Phi fraternity board of directors; member of the Diocesan Choir; member of the Ad Hoc Bethel Park Community Committee; secretary to the Pittsburgh chapter of the Mt. St. Mary’s Alumni Association; and vice-president of the Association for Human Formation. He also has earned a black belt in the Se Jong System of Tae Kwon Do.
Fr. Jim started his scouting career in Pack 668 at the North Branch Presbyterian Church earning his Arrow Of Light. He then went on to Troop 423 earning the rank of Star. He was a leader in the Troop 423 Indian Dance Troop and a founding member of Post 423. He attended the 1969 National Jamboree in Faragut State park, Idaho as a member of the Allegheny Trails Council Troop 12 and then attended the 13th World Jamboree in Japan as a member of Troop 321 serving as Jr. Assistant Scoutmaster.
Fr. Jim entered the adult leadership of Scouting in 1985 as C.O.R. & Chaplain to Troop 207 where he served as religious counselor for Ad Altare Dei, Pius XII and Pope Paul VI emblems. He also served as religious counselor for Pack 207’s Parvuli Dei emblem. He assisted the Girl Scouts with their various religious emblems and was honored with the St. George emblem by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting in 1990. In 1993 he became a member of the Greater Pittsburgh Council’s Religious/Council Relationships Committee acting as chair from 1994 to the present. In 1994 he served on the faculty of the Philmont Training Center for the membership /relationships conference. In 1998 he served as Religious Services chair for the Greater Pittsburgh Council’s council camporee. He currently is assisting steel city district with their Scout Sunday service and is institutional head for Pack 326 and Troop 326 which are chartered by St. Albert The Great.
He was inducted as an Ordeal member in to the Order Of The Arrow, Kiasutha Lodge #57 in 1989 and sealed his Brotherhood in 1990. Enda Lechauhanne Lodge #57 inducted Fr. Jim as a Vigil Honor member on May 15,1994. He has served as Kittan & Tecumsa Chapter Advisor; Dance Team Advisor and has for the past 16 years served as Inductions Advisor. He served as the 1995 Conclave Lodge Guide Advisor. He has earned the Order Of The Arrow's Rededication and 75th anniversary awards. He has attended NOAC1990, 1992, 1994, & 2000. He was awarded the Silver Acorn in 1999 and the Founders Award in 2007.
