Deacon Jim Leonard was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is the oldest of five children.  He has two brothers, Clyde and Tom and two sisters, Kathy who all live in Pittsburgh and Judy who lives in Hernando Beach. 

Deacon Jim met his wife on a blind date in 1958 and it was love a first sight.  They were married 20 months later and have two daughters, Kim in Pittsburgh and Dana in Bolingbrook, IL and four grandchildren, Tom, Stephanie, Alyssa and Michael.

They have remained active in their home parish of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, and have been involved in every facet of parish life, from president of parish council, PTG president, Christian Mothers Secretary/ Treasurer, to working in the school cafeteria, etc.

Deacon Jim went to St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania for high school. After a three year stint in the Army, went on to graduated from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh in 1965, majoring in Sales and Marketing.

Jim was ordained a Deacon on June 26, 1999 by the now Archbishop of Washington D.C. Donald W. Wuerl, S.T.D.    He is also certified to teach religion at the elementary school level.

He retired in 2001, after careers in Traffic and Transportation, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Scheduling Consulting, and finally as a Sales and Manufacturing coordinator and his wife retired in 2003 who was an accountant for a fraternal insurance company.

They moved to Spring Hill in 2004.  After being accepted by the Diocese of St. Petersburg a call from Fr. Richard to serve at St. Scholastica was quickly answered, where he served for two years.  He has been at St. Frances Cabrini since November 2006.