Fr. Jay was born in Dorchester Massachusetts on Sunday May 3, 1953. He is the first child of Harold Joseph Jay of Vernon Bridge and Mary Veronica Corcoran of Baldwin’s Road. Fr. Frank is the oldest of a family of 4 sons and 4 daughters. Fr. Jay was educated in the public schools of Stoughton, Massachusetts. He attended the University of Massachusetts from September 1971 to April of 1974 and was a Theater Major concentrating in acting and directing. While at university he underwent a religious experience that solidified a lifelong call to the Priesthood.

He applied to the seminary but was asked to work for a while. He went to work in a local shoe factory until he was admitted to St. John’s Seminary in September 1975. Fr. Jay completed 3 years worth of Philosophical studies in 2 years and graduated at the top of his class with a double Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and English cum laude. For reasons that will forever remain a mystery, Frank was refused admission to Theology School in Boston three times until he was told to “go somewhere else because the Archdiocese of Boston would not take him”. Boston’s loss was PEI’s gain! In the 3 years between Philosophy and Theology School Frank worked at Tech Hi-fi, at that time the leading US retailer for stereo equipment, where he became manager of 2 stores.

Bishop Francis Spence accepted Fr. Jay as a seminarian for the diocese of Charlottetown and Frank attended the Toronto School of Theology graduating from St. Augustine’s Seminary with a Master’s Degree in Divinity and a Bachelors Degree in Theology in 1984. Fr. Jay was ordained to the Roman Catholic Priesthood by Bishop James H. MacDonald on Friday, May 25, 1984 at St. Cuthbert’s Church St. Theresa’s, the same church where his parents were married and his uncle Fr. Francis Corcoran had been ordained 34 years before. Fr. Jay has served as priest in Summerside, Covehead, the University of PEI, Grand River, Lennox Island, Foxley River, Charlottetown, Cornwall, St. Martin’s, Rollo Bay, New Zealand, Little Pond (twice), St. Charles, St. Margaret’s, Miscouche, Wellington, Cardigan, St. George’s, St. Anne’s, Stella Maris and St. Mary’s of the People.

Fr. Jay is a published poet, a musician and a photographer but chiefly a teacher. For over 25 years he has taught Sacred Scripture and Catholic Faith to many adults across PEI. He is sought out as a confessor and counselor by people from all over the Maritimes but his primary concern is his own parishioners . His personal motto is “Doing Everything to get people to Christ!” When he came to his present assignment he announced that he would spend his Sunday sermons preaching Jesus Christ because everything else would be a waste of time.