Father Anselm Townsend died Sunday, October 30, 1977, in Houston. Texas, as a result of a severe stroke suffered in early October. Following services at Holy Rosary Church, he was buried in the community plot in Houston on November 2.

Thomas Archibald Townsend was born November 29, 1901, in Ardwick, South Manchester, England, and attended local schools in Manchester before studying for the Episcopalian ministry as a member of the Order of the Holy Cross at Knutsford Theological Seminary in Knutsford, Cheshire, England.

After emigrating with his family to the United States in early 1921, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church on February 7, 1924, at St. Patrick's Church in Corning. New York. Following a semester of study at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island, he left his family's new home in Selma. Alabama, to enter the Dominican novitiate at St. Joseph's Priory, Somerset, Ohio. where he took Anselm as a religious name and made his first profession on August 19, 1925. Philosophical studies followed in River Forest, Illinois, and theological courses in Washington. D.C. He was ordained a Dominican priest on June 15, 1931, at St. Dominic's Church in Washington.

Father Townsend was first assigned as an associate pastor to St. Dominic's Parish in Denver, Colorado, and then as an associate to St. Mary's Parish in Johnson City, Tennessee. After a year at St. Rose Priory, Springfield, Kentucky, as an associate to the parish and a special instructor in history and liturgy, he moved to St. Vincent Ferrer Priory in New York City to serve as editor of the "Dominican Library of Spiritual Works." In 1938, he was appointed professor of religion and history at Dominican College in New Orleans, Louisiana. until 1942, when he was named to the faculty of Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois. At Fenwick he taught history, business law economic geography, and sociology, in addition to serving as Dean of Studies from 1949 to 1952.

After serving as a special lecturer in political science at "Pro Deo" University in Rome, Father Townsend joined the staff at the Newman Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1954, and the faculty of St. Joseph's College and Regina School of Nursing. In 1955, he was named pastor and religious superior of the community in Albuquerque.

From 1958 until 1965, Father Townsend taught theology and biblical studies at Loretto Heights College near Denver, Colorado. In 1965, he returned to New Orleans as chaplain and professor of theology at Dominican College until 1967 when he was assigned as chaplain at Rice University in Houston, Texas. In 1968, he moved to St. Dominic's Villa in Houston as chaplain to the Dominican Sisters. In 1970, failing health indicated that he should limit his activities, and he returned to St. Mark Priory in Houston as assistant chaplain for Rice University where he continued to provide priestly service and counselling whenever possible until his last illness.