József Petrovits (Joseph Julius Charles Petrovits) (Nagyszombat, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, now Trnava, Slovakia, May 10, 1886 – Kulpmont, Pennsylvania, USA, January 8, 1963) was a Roman Catholic priest, canon lawyer, theologian, priest of the Diocese of Philadelphia, and papal chaplain (Monsignor).

As a child, he emigrated to the United States with his parents, where he completed his theological studies in Philadelphia. He was ordained a priest on May 29, 1909, in Philadelphia. He later continued his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned a doctorate in canon law (J.C.D.). According to contemporary sources, he also held a licentiate in theology (S.T.L.) and a bachelor’s degree in canon law (J.C.B.). Records indicate that he spoke ten languages.

His scholarly work focused primarily on canon law and the theology of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1917, his work *Theology of the Cultus of the Sacred Heart: A Moral, Dogmatic, and Historical Study* was published; a revised edition was released a year later under the title *Devotion to the Sacred Heart: Its Theology, History, and Philosophy*. His most significant work is *The New Church Law on Matrimony*, one of the earliest scholarly treatments in English of the marriage law in the Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1917. The first edition of the work was published in 1919, and an expanded edition appeared in 1921 in Philadelphia.

He served as a pastor in Kulpmont, Pennsylvania, for many years. According to available sources, he was the pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church from 1919 until his death. He became a leading figure in the Catholic life of the town and the surrounding area, regularly participating in diocesan events and taking on roles in public life. On several occasions, he presided over naturalization ceremonies and led the work of local Catholic organizations.

On September 11, 1958, Pope Pius XII conferred upon him the title of Monsignor in recognition of his decades of pastoral and scholarly work. He passed away on January 8, 1963, in Kulpmont, and is buried at the local Saint Mary Cemetery.

His memory is also honored by the Msgr. Joseph J. C. Petrovits Council No. 4281 of the Knights of Columbus in Pennsylvania, which is still active today and was named in his honor. His life’s work is a fine example of those American Catholic priests of Hungarian descent in the first half of the 20th century who, in addition to their pastoral ministry, also engaged in significant scholarly work, and contributed to the development of English-language Catholic canon law literature.

Theology of the Cultus of the Sacred Heart: A Moral, Dogmatic and Historical Study, Washington, D.C., Catholic University of America, 1917, 227 p.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart, its Theology, History and Philosophy, B. Herder Book Co., 1918.
The New Church Law on Matrimony, Philadelphia, J. J. McVey, 1919 / 1921. A HathiTrust szerint a 1921-es kiadás 458 oldalas, Thomas J. Shahan bevezetőjével, és a mű az 1919-es Catholic University of America J.C.D. disszertációként is megjelent.