John J. Snyder

Snyder was born in New York City on October 25, 1925, to John Joseph and Katherine Walsh Snyder. He attended St. Bartholomew and St. Andrew Avellino schools before studying for the priesthood at Cathedral College in Brooklyn and Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York.

Snyder was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Brooklyn on June 9, 1951, by Bishop Thomas Molloy. After serving for six years at St. Mel Parish in Flushing, New York, Snyder was appointed assistant secretary (1957–1968) to Bishop Bryan J. McEntegart and then secretary (1968–1972) to Bishop Francis J. Mugavero.

On December 13, 1972, Pope Paul VI appointed Snyder as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn. He was consecrated on February 2, 1973, at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn. Mugavero served as principal consecrator, with bishops John Boardman and Paul Hagarty serving as principal co-consecrators.

In October 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed Snyder as bishop of the Diocese of Saint Augustine, where he was installed on December 5, 1979. His episcopal motto was "Peace in Christ".

As required by canon law, Snyder submitted his resignation on his 75th birthday on October 25, 2000. Pope John Paul II accepted Snyder's resignation on December 12, 2000. Snyder was elected diocesan administrator on December 15, 2000, by the diocesan college of consultors and served as administrator until August 21, 2001, when Monsignor Victor Galeone was consecrated bishop. Bishop John J. Snyder High School in Jacksonville, Florida, is named after him. Snyder celebrated an annual Mass at the school. He also went to most of the home sports games.

John Snyder died in Jacksonville on September 27, 2019, at age 93.