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2001
Fr. C. Leo Sweeney, 12/08/2001
Fr. William O. Madden, 11/09/2001
Fr. Joseph M. Becker, SJ, 10/10/2001
Fr. Hugh B. Rodman 10/15/2001
Fr. Charles A. Law, 70, 09/09/2001
Fr. Joseph F. Small, SJ, 83, 06/27/2001
Fr. Robert W. Mulligan, SJ, 84, 06/14/2001
Fr. Michael Grace, SJ, 5/5/2001
George C. Maynard SJ, 70, 03/29/2001
George Curran, 82, 03/25/2001
Edwin A. Moosbrugger, 99, 03/22/2001

Fr. C. Leo Sweeney, SJ Loyola University philosophy professor and author December 8, 2001 St. Joseph's Hospital Chicago, IL

Reverend C. Leo Sweeney, Loyola University philosophy professor, author, and Jesuit priest, died Saturday December 8, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.

Fr. Sweeney, a native of O'Connor, NE, completed his grade school and high school studies at St. Joseph's Academy before entering the Society of Jesus at Florissant, MO, in 1936. In 1941, during his studies to become a priest, Fr. Sweeney earned his AB from St. Louis University, a Ph.L in 1943, and in 1945 completed an MA in philosophy, all at SLU. In 1951 he earned an S.T.L. from St. Mary's, Kansas, an affiliate of St. Louis University. Fr. Sweeney was ordained a priest on June 14, 1949 at St. Mary's, Kansas, and then went on to earn his Ph.D. in philosophy from University of Toronto in 1954.

In September, 1954, Fr. Sweeney became a professor of philosophy at St. Louis University, where he remained for thirteen years until he took a sabbatical to pursue various research and writing projects. In 1968 he went to Creighton University and spent two years as a research professor there before moving to Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he taught philosophy from 1970-1972. In September, 1972, Fr. Sweeney was hired by Loyola University Chicago and has served there as a professor of philosophy for the last 29 years.

Mr. David Meconi, SJ, a Jesuit scholastic pursuing a Masters degree in theology at Jesuitenkolleg in Innsbruck, Austria, who studied under Fr. Sweeney at Loyola, said: "Leo was a true Jesuit who found God in all experiences and areas of life, 'concrete cases', as he called them. His wonder before the truth of things was contagious. His students sensed that standing before them was a man who philosophized because he prayed."

Throughout his career, Fr. Sweeney did extensive research on the subject of neo-platonism, a system of thought begun by Plotinus, an Egyptian-Roman philosopher whose work influenced early Christian theology. His paper, "Was St. Augustine a Neoplatonist or a Christian? Old Question, New Approach," was acclaimed at the 11th annual conference of Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies at Villanova University in October, 1985 and Fr. Sweeney was elected president of the U.S. section of the International Society of Neoplatonic Studies in 1986.

Dr. Paul Moser, chair of Loyola's philosophy department and long-time colleague of Fr. Sweeney's said, "He attracted a lot of students. They sought him out, and wanted to spend time with him. He had quite a following of undergraduates." Dr. Moser added that while always busy with his work as a writer, teacher, and researcher, Fr Sweeney "had a great sense of humor through it all."

Fr. James Grummer, SJ, provincial of the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus, to which Fr. Sweeney belonged, said, "He was a very dedicated teacher, but he was more than just a teacher because he was interested in the lives of his students. He brought together his intellectual interests and his care for every individual person and, as a result, made a big impact on the lives of a number of people."

In addition to his many articles and papers, Fr. Sweeney published a number of books: Metaphysics of Authentic Existentialism (1965), Infinity in the Presocratics: A Biographical and Philosophical Study (1972), Authentic Metaphysics in an Age of Unreality (with W. J. Carroll and J.J. Furlong, 1988), Divine Infinity in Greek and Medieval Thought (1992), and Christian Philosophy: Greek, Medieval, Modern Developments (1994).

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.

Fr. William O. Madden, SJ History Scholar, Cook County Hospital Chaplain November 9, 2001 Colombiere Center, Clarkston, MI.

Fr. William O. Madden, Jesuit priest, history scholar, and Cook County Hospital chaplain, died Friday, November 9, 2001, at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, MI, of pulmonary fibrosis.

Fr. Madden, a native of Chicago, attended grammar school at Resurrection before venturing to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where he attended Campion Jesuit High School during World War II from 1940-1944. In 1944, he entered the Society of Jesus at Milford, Ohio. During his Jesuit studies, Fr. Madden earned an A.B. in Latin and philosophy from Loyola University Chicago in 1949 and an MA in history and philosophy in 1955, from Loyola as well. He also earned a licentiate in philosophy from West Baden College in 1951 and a licentiate in theology in 1958. Fr. Madden was ordained a priest at West Baden on June 19, 1957. He then studied at the Gregorian University in Rome and was granted a Ph.D. in Church history in 1971.

Most of Fr. Madden's early career as a Jesuit was as a teacher of history. From 1951-1954, he taught history at University of Detroit High School in Detroit, MI, then from 1962-64 taught Church history at West Baden College. When West Baden College moved to North Aurora in 1964, he moved with it, and then moved again to Hyde Park with Jesuit School of Theology (JSTC) where he continued to teach Church history until 1973. From 1973-79, he served as an Assistant for Personnel in the Province Offices in Oak Park, IL, and was superior of the Jesuit community there. In 1979, he returned to Hyde Park and JSTC, as minister of the community and assistant to the rector.

In 1981, after developing an interest in clinical pastoral education, Fr, Madden joined a team of three Jesuit priests working as chaplains at Chicago's Cook County Hospital. He served as coordinator of this apostolate, which provided sacraments to Catholic patients and spiritual guidance and accompaniment to patients of all faiths. His work focused on those patients who were being held in criminal custody.

"We minister to everyone at Cook County," Fr. Madden once said, "not just the Catholics. 80 to 90 percent of the patients are there because they can't afford to go anywhere else. Other hospitals can't take the poor like they used to. They can't afford to. There has to be a hospital for the poor and indigent, but that doesn't mean poor health care. County has the best burn and trauma units available. We have Cook County, Presbyterian St. Luke's, and the University of Illinois hospital all together here. There's also a VA hospital here. Four major hospitals and clinics."

Fr. Daniel Flaherty, SJ, provincial of the Chicago Province from 1973-1979 said, "When I was provincial Fr. Bill Madden was the perfect example of a Jesuit who was ready to serve where the need was greatest and wherever he was asked. He was a most compassionate person and always available."

"People in crisis situations" observed Fr. Madden, "are much more vulnerable to hurts, and open to growth and healing on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. They're at moments of decision in their lives. They might wish they weren't; such moments were forced on them. But they are moments of decision. In ordinary life you don't run into moments of decision every day, but you do at a hospital. We're not tied down with a lot of administrative details so we have more time to spend with people."

Fr. John Pennington, SJ, who served as a chaplain at Cook County with Fr. Madden for seven years said, "Bill was able to find Christ in the poorest of the poor. For 20 years he got up in the middle of the night for anybody who wanted a blessing, a baptism, or a sacrament of the sick. He was very faithful to the needs of the people at the hospital, and he asked me to tell them that he was sorry he couldn't say good-bye in person."

From 1992-1994, Fr. Madden also served as administrator at Holy Family, the church affiliated with the chaplain program at Cook County, while still working as a chaplain, an apostolate he continued until he became ill earlier this month.

Fr. Paul Clifford, SJ, who taught with Fr. Madden from 1951-53 at University of Detroit High, said "I was looking forward to Bill's arrival at Colombiere. We were great friends, and we thought we'd have a few months to spend together. I had no idea his death would be so sudden." Fr. Clifford added that Fr. Madden was "a truly generous and caring person. When he was working at Cook County Hospital, he used to set aside some money for the people who often came around asking for handouts. He had a great love for the Society of Jesus and took great care of his fellow Jesuits."

Fr. Jack O'Callaghan, SJ, a professor of Ethics at the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine and a close friend of Fr. Madden, said, "Bill was always available for any Jesuit work that needed to be done. If you knew him, you knew a man of total loyalty to the Church to the Society of Jesus and to his friends. He told me shortly before he left for Colombiere, where he died in a couple of days, how grateful he was to have some time to prepare for his death. He didn't have as much time as he thought, but in fact he was prepared for death by his whole life."

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.

Fr. Joseph M. Becker, SJ Renowned Author and Economist October 10, 2001 Colombiere Jesuit Community, Clarkston, MI.

Fr. Joseph M. Becker, SJ, renowned author, economist, and expert on unemployment, died on October 10, 2001, at Colombiere Jesuit Community in Clarkston, Michigan.

Fr. Becker was born in Colorado, but grew up in Chicago, IL, where he attended St. Sylvester Grammar School and St. Ignatius High School. He entered the Jesuit novitiate at Florrisant, MO, in 1926. As part of his Jesuit training he earned an A.B. from Xavier University in 1931, then an M.A. in 1936 and an S.T.L. in 1940, both from St. Louis University. He was ordained a priest in 1939.

Fr. John Felten, SJ, retired Xavier University classics professor, attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette, IL, as a young man, where he had Fr. Becker as a Latin and Greek instructor. Even as a high school student, Felten recognized that Fr. Becker "was a brilliant man." Later the two of them lived and worked together at Xavier University. "He was first class, absolutely first class," Felten said of Fr. Becker, adding "he also had a great sense of humor."

Combining the Jesuit traditions of education and service to the poor, Fr. Becker went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University in 1949 and over the years became renowned as an expert on unemployment and social economics. In 1971 Loyola University Chicago conferred an Honorary Ph.D. on Fr. Becker. During his career as a self-described "priest-economist," he authored seven books on the economics of unemployment, including In Aid of the Unemployed and Guaranteed Income for the Unemployed. He also wrote the two volumes, Re-Formed Jesuits, which document the evolution of the Society of Jesus during the 1960's.

Fr. Becker taught economics at St. Louis University from 1950-1966, where he also conducted extensive research at the Institute of Social Order. From 1965-1971 he continued his research at the Cambridge Center for Social Studies, before moving on to Georgetown University and the Jesuit Center for Social Studies. In 1986 he headed the newly formed Jesuit Center for Religious Studies at Xavier University, where he studied the changes in the life of religious orders since Vatican II. He retired to the Colombiere Community in 1997.

Fr. Paul Clifford, SJ, who founded the Faber Jesuit Community where Fr. Becker lived during his last seven years at Xavier, says Fr. Becker was widely recognized as a brilliant man and talented writer but, "was also a very gentle man with a great sense of humor. He would never hurt anybody."

Fr. Becker never saw his role as an economist as distinct from his role as a priest. He once wrote of his work: "I'm attempting to help the world solve one of the most pressing social problems by bringing to bear the truths of Christianity and the values revealed to us about what a human being is... the marriage of revealed and scientific truths will be a fruitful one!"

Fr. Becker served as vice chairman of the Federal Advisory Council on Unemployment Insurance and worked as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Science Foundation, and the National Commission on Unemployment Compensation. A member of the American Economic Association, the Association for Social Economics, and the Industrial Relations Research Association, he was the first recipient of the Joseph M. Becker, SJ, Award, in 1989. The award, named in his honor, is presented by the National Foundation for Unemployment Compensation and Worker's Compensation.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.

Fr. Hugh B. Rodman, SJ October 15, 2001 Colombiere Jesuit Community Clarkston, MI.

Fr. Hugh B. Rodman, a Jesuit priest and former Loyola University dean, died of congestive heart failure on Monday October, 15, 2001, at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, MI. Fr. Rodman was 92 years old.

During his 71 years in the Society of Jesus, Fr. Rodman served as an assistant dean at John Carroll University, Cleveland, OH, at Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, and at Loyola University, Chicago, IL, from 1958-1970. In 1971 he was assigned to teach philosophy at St. Michael's Seminary in Kingston, Jamaica, but returned to Loyola a year later and was appointed assistant director of financial aid, a position he held until 1978. In 1978 he was named treasurer of the Jesuit community at Loyola University and served the community in that position and others before healthcare problems sent him to Colombiere Center in 1998.

A native of Louisville, KY, Fr. Rodman attended Presentation Academy before moving to Kansas, where he attended St. Mary's High School and College. He joined the Jesuits in 1929 after a two-year stint working for a securities broker. During his Jesuit training, he completed his AB degree at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH, in 1932, and earned his MA in English from Xavier in 1934. He also became a licensed private pilot.

Fr. John Dillon, SJ, director of Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House, became very close to Fr. Rodman during their years at Loyola. "He was unusually kind and gracious. He took seriously the idea that Christianity meant leading a life of service," Fr. Dillon said. "He always asked, 'what can I do to help you?' He took great joy in serving other people."

Ms. Anita Butler, health consultant for the Chicago Province, remembered telling Fr. Rodman about her father who had moved into the James C. King Retirement Home in Evanston in 1989. "The only thing dad doesn't like about the place," Anita told Fr. Rodman, "is that they don't offer Sunday mass." Fr. Rodman began immediately celebrating mass at the nursing home on Saturday afternoons and continued to do so for more than five years, while he himself was in his 80's. "He was a wonderfully kind man," Anita says of Fr. Rodman, adding that the men at the King home insisted on giving Fr. Rodman contributions for his masses, every single dollar of which he sent to the missions.

According to Fr. Paul Clifford, SJ, who served as superior of the Jesuit community at Loyola University Chicago from 1983-1989, Fr. Rodman was a renaissance man, a pilot, a fine athlete, and a very capable administrator. But, according to Fr. Clifford, he was, above all, "a great man who was extremely well liked by the communities at Loyola and Colombiere."

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.

Fr. Charles A. Law, SJ 70 September 9, 2001 Kathmandu, Nepal

Rev Charles Law, SJ, a Jesuit priest, poet, social worker, teacher, and missionary to the Kingdom of Nepal, died suddenly of a heart attack on Sunday, September 9, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Fr. Law would have been 70 on September 22, and recently celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his entrance into the Jesuits.

Fr. Law, a Chicago native, attended Our Lady of Mercy grade school before attending Loyola Academy where he excelled in football and academics, garnering recognition as an All-City Honorable Mention his senior year. Tom Considine, a classmate and friend of Fr. Law's from Loyola said, "Charlie was an extremely solid person. He was a person who achieved, and yet he was humble. He could do it; he didn't need to talk about it." Considine added that Fr. Law's presence at his 50th high school reunion two years ago caused a stir of deep respect in all his classmates. After graduating from the Academy in 1949, Fr. Law enrolled in Loyola University, Chicago, where he was invited to join the Honors Program. He entered the Jesuits in 1951, and completed his undergraduate studies at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH, as part of his Jesuit course of studies. He graduated magna cum laude with an AB in classics, and then earned an M.A. in philosophy from Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL. He was ordained a priest March 19, 1964 in Kurseong, India.

By all accounts, Fr. Law was a true renaissance man. He participated in numerous extracurricular activities while pursuing a rigorous course of studies with concentrations in both the sciences and humanities. At Xavier he appeared in a number of stage plays. At Loyola he was campus reporter for the school paper. At Spring Hill he was appointed student director of speech, a position which allowed him to help teach English to foreign students as well as to assist students who had to speak in public. At Xavier he was a member of the Knights of the Inkwell, an association of student writers.

After completing his studies in 1958, Fr. Law volunteered to work in the Jesuit missions in India, but was assigned instead to the new mission in the Kingdom of Nepal. He spent the bulk of his career teaching physics at St. Xavier's, a Jesuit-run secondary school in Kathmandu. Sharda Thapa, one of Fr. Law's former students who lives in Chicago and works as an independent consultant in finance and strategic planning for the telecommunication and technology industries, recalls his former physics teacher as, "a placid, gentle, and kind person who was also a very good teacher."

Fr. Robert Bireley, SJ, who recently celebrated his Jubilee anniversary in Nepal with Fr. Law said, "He was very committed to the education of the poor." Fr. Law demonstrated this when he left St. Xavier for four years to live in an abandoned teashop and teach science in a leaky school building in the remote Nepalese village of Phalebas. When he returned to Kathmandu, Fr. Law split his time between working as principal of the International School, and teaching at St. Xavier's until 1995, when he began to plan a program of social work for St. Xavier College, which had been opened by the Jesuits in 1988. Fr. Law returned to the United States to pursue further studies so he could offer a degree in social work at the new college. The program, which opened in 1996, is one of Fr. Law's crowning achievements. Fr. Bireley added that Fr. Law's concern for the poor was evident in the creation of this new program, which he hoped would benefit Nepalese society by giving its citizens the tools and ability to deal with their country's social needs.

During his years in Nepal, Fr. Law continued writing. He published a number of poems: Respect; No Love Lost, Queen's Pawn Sacrifice, Green Light, Sweeper Boy, Don't Pull that Curtain, Red Light for Evolution, and One in Twenty. He wrote extensively about social injustice in Nepal, and published three books on personality/character development for young people.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.

Fr. Joseph F. Small, SJ 83 June 27, 2001 Colmbiere Jesuit Community Clarkston, MI

Fr. Joseph F. Small, SJ, Jesuit priest and teacher, died Wednesday, June 27, 2001 at Colombiere Jesuit Community, Clarkston, MI. Fr. Small was 83 years old. During his years of teaching political science at Loyola University, Chicago, he was a frequent contributor to the op-ed pages of The Chicago Tribune and Sun Times. Born in Chicago on October 4, 1917, Fr. Small spent more than 65 years in the Society of Jesus, having celebrated his golden jubilee as a Jesuit in 1985. He attended St. Sabina grammar school and both St. Leo and St. Ignatius high schools, Chicago. Upon graduation from St. Ignatius in 1935, he entered the Jesuit novitiate in Milford, Ohio. As part of his Jesuit training he taught for two years (1943-1945) at the Colegio Centro America in Granada, Nicaragua. He was ordained in 1948 at West Baden College, Indiana, and pronounced his final vows as a Jesuit at Fordham University in New York in 1953.

Speaking of his friend and colleague, Fr. Earl Weis, SJ, professor of theology at Loyola University said, " Fr. Small was a pioneer of what was to come for the Jesuit community. Long before the Jesuits began to focus their attention on Central and South America, Father Small was doing his pastoral work there. He was able to return to his 1945 mission school in Nicaragua in the 1970's to find that the school was flourishing and he was pleased to see how his former students were doing."

In 1946 he earned a master's degree in philosophy from Loyola University, Chicago, and in 1955 a doctoral degree in political science from Fordham University. In 1954 he joined the faculty of Loyola University, Chicago, and taught political science until 1985, chairing the department from 1963 to 1969. "Father Small was an important academician and administrator for 40 years at Loyola University. He was the first non-administrator faculty member to chair the committee on faculty appointments. He was an excellent teacher himself and someone who was very proud of the teaching excellence he saw in his priestly and lay colleagues, " said Father Weis.

His long time friend and Loyola University colleague, Lorraine Serwatka, spoke of Fr. Small as "a man with a formidable facade but a very gentle heart. He was a man with strong convictions and intense loyalty to his friends and to the university." Sam Sarkesian, professor emeritus of Loyola U.'s political science department added, "Fr. Small had a stern presence but underneath he had the warmest smile and always a twinkle in his eye. He told me that he had one more mission to perform in his later years. He wanted to work for the pro-life movement on campus and in the city, which he did. I was always impressed by his commitments."

Among his publications was a translation from Spanish of Ortega y Gassett, Existentialist, by Jose Sanchez Villasenor, S.J., in 1949, and the writing of Governmental Alternatives Facing the Chicago Metropolitan Area, 1966. Fr. Small served as trustee of Loyola University from 1965-1972, and as rector of the Loyola Jesuit community from 1969-1971. He was also the archivist for the Chicago Province from 1989-1997. When he suffered a stroke in 1997 he moved to the Jesuit Colombiere Center in Clarkston, Michigan.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.

Fr. Robert W. Mulligan, SJ June 14, 2001 Loyola University Medical Center Maywood, IL

Father Robert W. Mulligan, SJ, 84, died Thursday, June 14, 2001 at the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. He died on the 52nd anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

A Chicago native and graduate of both Loyola Academy and Loyola University, Fr. Mulligan's entire ministry was devoted to Jesuit education. Following his ordination in 1949, he was professor of Philosophy at Loyola University in Chicago, and in 1954 was named Chair of the Philosophy Department; in 1956 he was appointed Vice President and Dean of Faculties at Loyola; in 1971 he was named Provost of Xavier University in Cincinnati, and the following year was elected President of XU, a position he filled ably for the next ten years.

Father Ray Baumhart, SJ, former president of Loyola University, said of Father Mulligan, "He was a tower of intelligence and academic integrity. Father Mulligan was the leading voice in the establishment of Loyola's School of Education, The Loyola Rome Center and of faculty appointments. He was truly a boon to Loyola University in a period of growth, always knowing what was for the good of the institution."

Father Mulligan left Xavier in 1982 for St. Louis University where he served as Executive Assistant to the President and Corporate Secretary. In 1989, he served a year as Executive Academic Vice President at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia before returning to St. Louis University to serve as director of campus ministry. In 1991, he returned to Chicago, where he has served for the last ten years as a chaplain to the Sisters of Charity.

Father John Murphy, SJ, who worked with Fr. Mulligan at Loyola University, recalls that, "he was very alert and active for someone 84 years old. He had a great sense of humor and kept his mind active by going on the bus most Fridays to the Loop for an opera or concert. He was most willing to talk about his trips when he got back."

Father Mulligan graduated from Loyola Academy in 1933 while it was still part of the Loyola University campus and then matriculated from the University in 1937 with a bachelor's degree in English. That same year he entered the Jesuits at Milford, Ohio.

During his Jesuit years of study at West Baden College in Indiana, Fr. Mulligan earned an M.A. in English as well as licentiate degrees in philosophy and theology. After his ordination in 1949, he did doctoral studies in theology at Louvain University in Belgium.

Fr. Mulligan was an active member of the North Central Association, an academic accrediting agency, and served on its Commission on Universities from 1963 to 1968 and its Board of Directors from 1963 until 1973. In 1976, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws by the University of Cincinnati.

Fr. Baumhart said of Fr. Mulligan in his last years, "He was a good person who handled his illness very well, without complaining."

Father Mulligan is survived by his sister, Mrs. Marion O'Rourke of Winnetka, Illinois and his nephew, Mr. Daniel O'Rourke, also of Winnetka.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.

Fr. George C. Maynard, SJ 70 March 29, 2001 Detroit, MI

Father George C. Maynard, 70, died March 29, 2001 at his home. He was a Jesuit priest for 40 years who was dedicated to caring for sick and dying veterans. He addressed the spiritual needs of soldiers from the Spanish-American war through Desert Storm. He was working full time as head of chaplain service at two Veterans Administration medical centers in Lexington when he died suddenly of a heart attack.

George was born in Ashtabula, Ohio. He attended high school at Campion in Praire du Chien, WI, after which he entered the Society of Jesus in Milford, Ohio in 1948. There he met Father Walter (Walt) Bado, who entered the Society two years before and is now Superior of the Kentucky Jesuit Mission. "I knew him as a friend and a member of the Jesuit community," said Fr. Bado. "He was very faithful to his ministry and his gentle, down-to-earth approach made him accessible to all. I never recall seeing him in a bad mood."

George was ordained in 1961 at Colombiere College in Clarkston, MI. In addition to the usual course of Society studies, George held several advanced degrees. He earned his Master's in Divinity in 1971 from Ashland Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry in 1972 from Andover-Newton School in Mass.

George was considered a brilliant man who relished a good discussion. Colleagues said his retention of information was phenomenal and one could never catch him without the facts to support his argument. They said one of his favorite sports was "verbal sparring" in which he would instigate discussions with people who had political views opposite his own. Colleagues also said George never forgot a face or a name, which endeared him to patients.

George did not begin his life as a Jesuit in health care. He was assigned to teach at the University of Detroit High School in the mid '50s and early '60s. In 1971, he became associate pastor at the Church of the Gesu in Cleveland but he found himself drawn to clinical pastoral care. After completing a residency in clinical pastoral education, he directed the pastoral education program at St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington. Students described him as a thoughtful educator who encouraged independent thinking and a non-denominational approach to spirituality. He went from there to the Veterans Administration medical centers where he recently told a colleague that he loved his work so much that he never wanted to retire.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.

Fr. George Curran, SJ 82 March 25, 2001 Chicago, IL

Father George Curran was 82 years old when he died March 25, 2001 at the Colombiere Jesuit Community Center at Clarkston, Mich. He was a priest for 50 years and a dedicated educator. Before joining the Colombiere Community, George spent 32 years teaching at Xavier University, beginning as an instructor in ethics and eventually becoming a professor of philosophy. Colleagues described him as a humble scholar with a keen intellect and two doctorate degrees.

A native of Chicago, George graduated from Saint Ignatius College Prep in 1936. While serving part time as a congressional clerk, he studied at Georgetown University for two years before entering the Jesuit novitiate at Milford, Ohio in 1938. Following two years' novitiate, George continued his undergraduate studies at Loyola University where he received an A.B. degree in 1943 and an M.A. degree in philosophy in 1947. In 1949, he received a Ph.D. in political science from Fordham University in New York. After studies in philosophy and theology at the Jesuit's West Baden College in West Baden, IN, George was ordained in 1951. He then earned a Ph.D. in philosophy at Gregorian University in Rome.

A hearing loss forced George to leave teaching but colleagues said he graciously filled in as needed to do pastoral work in the Lexington area. Father Lou Lipps, who served in Kentucky with George, said, "The people loved him dearly and loved his homilies because he was able to weave in so much church history. That made him a very interesting speaker."

George spent his final years at the Colombiere Health Care Center where visitors recalled that he was a quiet man with a gentle Irish wit. When asked to reflect on his 50 years as a priest, George responded, "I have always been amazed that I was permitted to join the ranks of such a happy and distinguished group of men."

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.

Fr. Edwin A. Moosbrugger, SJ 99 March 22, 2001 Chicago, IL

Father Edwin A. Moosbrugger died March 22, 2001 at the Colombiere Jesuit Health Care Center in Clarkston, Mich. He was just three months away from his 100th birthday. Edwin, or "Fr. Moos" as many called him, had been the nation's oldest Jesuit.

Fr. Moos was born in Dayton, Ohio where he attended St. Mary's College High School. After graduating from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass. in 1923, he pursued a brief career in the insurance industry. In 1928, he entered the Society of Jesus at Milford, Ohio. During his Jesuit training, he earned an M.A. in history from St. Louis University. He completed his theological studies at St. Mary's College in St. Mary's, Kan., where he was ordained in 1936.

Throughout his life, Fr. Moos had two passions: teaching and tennis. He spent the better part of his career in education at St. Ignatius High School in Chicago (now Saint Ignatius College Prep), where he taught everything from theology to driver's education. He also was the school's tennis coach and led his teams to 15 consecutive Catholic League championships. In 1965, he was on the cover of Tennis magazine, wearing a collar and wielding a tennis racket. He often strolled the St. Ignatius campus in his trademark white tennis shorts and yachting cap but when he was in church, he was pressed and proper and he expected the same of others. After retiring from teaching in 1976, Fr. Moos continued to work. He helped coordinate insurance programs for Jesuits. He also made himself available for relief work in churches in Illinois and California. His part time work at St. Bernadette parish in Stockton, Calif. evolved into full time service as associate pastor.

Friends and colleagues described Fr. Moos as straightforward and feisty but always a gentleman-a throwback to an earlier era. They said he never backed down from a challenge.

"I have many fond memories of Fr. Moos but one of my favorites took place about 20 years ago when he was in his '80s," recalled Frank Raispis, Fr. Moos' principal at Saint Ignatius College Prep in the early '70s. "He was retired by then but he still came to visit. I saw him strolling across campus one time and I said, 'Good to see you father. Still playing tennis?' And he said, 'Yes, but not competitively.' That was Fr. Moos. He was unstoppable. It wouldn't surprise me if he played tennis the day before he died."

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Jesuit Partnership or the Jesuit International Missions by writing or calling:

To make an online donation, click here.