Msgr. Lloyd Aiken
Retired pastor served Glyndon parish for 32 years, a ‘generous’ and ‘stabilizing force’ in the Catholic church
Monsignor John Lloyd Elbert Aiken, the pastor of a Glyndon parish for 32 years, died of cancer Feb. 5 at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium. He was 75.
Born in Baltimore, he was the son of Lloyd Elbert Aiken, a lumber salesman, and his wife, Mary Agatha Zimmer, a Rosewood Center nurse. He grew up in Reisterstown, Gardenville and Glyndon.
He attended Franklin Elementary School and Franklin Junior High School, and completed his freshman year at Loyola High School at Blakefield.
He then entered the seminary at the old St. Charles College in Catonsville. He was an honors graduate of St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park, from which he received a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology and later a master’s degree in divinity.
He was ordained a deacon in 1969 and assigned to St. Bernardine Parish on Edmondson Avenue. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1970.
A biography supplied by the Archdiocese of Baltimore said he also studied Spanish in an immersion program in Cuernavaca, Mexico. In 1999 he was named a monsignor.
After his ordination to the priesthood, he served at the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Holy Trinity in Glen Burnie and at St. Margaret in Bel Air.
In 1983 he was named pastor of Annunciation Parish in Rosedale.
Monsignor Aiken was appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon in 1987 and concurrently was pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Pikesville, beginning in 2009. He led both parishes until his retirement in June 2019.
Monsignor Aiken, or “Lloyd,” as he liked to be called, was pastor at Sacred Heart for 32 years, said the present pastor, the Rev. Jerry Francik. “He was always the calm and stabilizing force. He was a builder who oversaw construction of the middle school, the parish center and most importantly the new church.”
Father Francik also said: “He had impeccable taste and always wanted the sacred liturgy to be beautiful, tasteful and noble. He was known among his brother priests as having beautiful vestments from Spencer Abbey and the Holy Rood Guild. … If someone needed vestments for a large celebration, they would contact Lloyd and he would see they got them — matching of course.”
“He was extremely generous, often to a fault,” Father Francik said. “He loved the Eucharist and his people and embraced all cultures. Because of him, Sacred Heart and St. Charles have become very diverse communities with a thriving Spanishspeaking population as well as people from India, Africa, the Philippines and many other places. He welcomed them all with open arms and a big smile.”
Jean Richardson, a parish housekeeper and cook, said: “He never raised his voice. He was a man of wisdom and kindness. He was a good friend and confidant. He was just an amazing person. He never wasted a penny and never boasted. He never took anyone for granted, too.”
Monsignor Aiken served two terms as a representative to the Presbytery Council, was elected to three terms as a member of the Clergy Personnel Board and was a member of the Senior Priest Retirement Board.
He also served for two terms on the Board of Trustees for St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park and was a member of the Allocation Committee for the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal.
He was a supervisor of seminarians and the newly ordained. The archdiocesan biography said he was supportive of international seminarians and new priests “since he recognized the challenges they faced in adapting to a new culture.”
A fellow priest, the Rev. Thomas Ulshafer, said: “He wanted any of his guests to enjoy their time at his parish rectory and feel at home. He set a welcoming and relaxed tone at his rectory since he wanted other priests to enjoy being together.
“His kindness was amazing. … He was always so sensitive to other people. His motives were to serve and help others. He was always seeking to understand other religious traditions, and he even learned Spanish when he was in his 60s so he could better serve the Catholic Hispanic community at his parish.”
Father Ulshafer recalled him as “a humble person who was never too enthusiastic about being made a monsignor.”
Colleagues said Monsignor Aiken enjoyed travel to Europe and Mexico. They said he shopped for bargains.
A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 11 a.m. Monday at Sacred Heart Church, 65 Sacred Heart Lane in Glyndon.
There are no close survivors.