Jeffery Hampton Harvey, the seventh child of James and Essie Mae (nee Hampton) Harvey, was born in Carson, California, on April 10, 1964.
Baptized as an infant at St. Leo Church in Los Angeles, he attended Ascension Church and School in Los Angeles, where he received the Sacrament of Confirmation. It was during sixth grade that Jeff began to feel called to the priesthood.
He began to explore this calling by attending St. Vincent’s High School Seminary. After graduating from high school, he continued to discern his vocation by attending St. Mary’s of the Barrens in Perryville, MO, Amat Formation House in Los Angeles, Damascus House Novitiate in New Orleans, and St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, CO.
Jeff entered the Vincentian novitiate in 1983. He stated that his time at Damascus House solidified his commitment to the charism of the Congregation of the Mission. He professed vows in the Congregation of the Mission on October 24, 1992 and was ordained a deacon on April 23, 1993, at St. Thomas Seminary. He was ordained a priest on November 27, 1993, at St. Vincent’s Church in Los Angeles.
Fr. Jeff served as a parish priest at churches in California, Arizona, and Texas. He was pastor of both St. Vincent’s Church in Phoenix, AZ, and Sacred Heart Parish in Patterson, CA. A gifted preacher, he was a member of the Vincentian Parish Mission team and was in great demand, particularly in parishes that served the African American Catholic community.
In 2011, Fr. Jeff completed a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching at Aquinas Institute in St. Louis. From that time until his death, Fr. Jeff spent most of his time in the education and formation of clergy, serving at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Holy Name of Mary Seminary in the Solomon Islands, Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, and the Vincentian Mission (formation) House in St. Louis, MO, and had two appointments to St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo, CA.
Fr. Jeff served the Vincentian Family as a chaplain for the Ladies of Charity and as a contributor to The God Minute.
Friends and confreres remember Fr. Jeff for his hearty laugh, his generosity, and as a great homilist. He loved to drive and took frequent road trips.
Fr. Jeff recounted his days at Perryville and how he felt homesick for his home and family in California. He often expressed gratitude for the Missouri families who made him feel welcome in their homes, and throughout his life he continued to check in with them at every opportunity.
Fr. Jeff died on April 25, 2025, at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California. He was predeceased by both his parents and his brother James. He is survived by his sisters: Carolyn, Evelyn, Janetta, and Mynetta and his brothers: Xavier and Kerry Joe, as well as by his beloved uncle, Fr. Warren Harvey, a priest of the Diocese of Little Rock, AK.
Visitation: Thursday May 8, 5 – 8 p.m., Ascension Parish, 517 W. 112th St., Los Angeles
Funeral: Friday May 9, 1:30 pm, St. Vincent’s Church, 621 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Burial: Saturday May 10, 9:30 am, Calvary Cemetery 4201 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
The wake and funeral Mass will be available for streaming HERE.
“Well done, good and faithful servant. Come share your master’s joy.” (Matthew 25:23)