DR James Walsh, former managing director and editor of the now defunct Catholic Times, has died aged 89.
Dr Walsh, who lived in London, was educated at Douai and studied at the Gregorian University in Rome. He qualified as an accountant, and for a time in the 1930s was responsible for auditing the Pope's household accounts. In 1938, he was appointed Privy Chamberlain of the Cape and Sword for Pius XI. During the 1930s Dr Walsh forged his association with the Catholic Times newspaper, becoming managing director of the Catholic Publishing Company which owned it. He was also editor of the paper, and oversaw its move from Liverpool to London.
By the time of his departure, the Catholic Times had a circulation of around 50,000. Dr Walsh offered to give the paper to the Catholic Mission Society, but its head, Cardinal Heenan, refused it. It went instead, in 1962, to the Universe, under whose ownership the title folded.
Dr Walsh, who was first Lieutenant of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, was a tireless worker for young people in the Church, and a sponsor of the European Catholic Schools Games.