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2006
Fr. Thomas J. Diehl, SJ 11/23/2006
Fr. Carl J. Moell, SJ, 11/19/2006
Fr. George W. Steenken, SJ, 10/18/20006
Fr. Theodore J. Tracy, SJ, 10/2/2006
Fr. Thomas L. Kenealy, SJ, 8/26/2006
Fr. Allan F. Kirk, SJ, 8/9/2006
Fr. Robert C. Baumiller, SJ, 7/13/2006
Fr. Paul J. Clifford, SJ, 6/16/2006
Fr. Edward E. Cincoski, SJ, 2/9/2006
Fr. Fernando Arizti, SJ, 2/6/2006

Fr. Thomas J. Diehl, SJ November 23, 2006 Clarkston, MI View Fr. Diehl's guestbook at Legacy.com

Fr. Thomas J. Diehl, SJ, former pastor of St. Xavier Church, founder of The Jesuit Renewal Center (now known as The Jesuit Spiritual Center at Milford,) Cincinnati-area native and Jesuit priest died on Thursday November 23, 2006.

Fr. Diehl attended St. James grade school in Wyoming, OH and graduated from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati in 1937. Shortly afterwards, he entered the Jesuits at the Milford Novitiate. In his studies as a Jesuit he earned an A.B. from Loyola University Chicago and an M.A. in English. He also received his Ph.L. in 1944, from West Baden College, IN and an S.T.L. in 1951. He also completed special studies at Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati and The Institute of Spirituality and Worship at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, CA. Fr. Diehl was ordained on June 13, 1950, at West Baden, IN.

After ordination Fr. Diehl was appointed Regional Director of Apostleship of Prayer, in Chicago, a position he held until 1959, when he was appointed National Director of the Eucharistic Crusade. Eight years later he was missioned to serve as executive secretary to the Provincial of the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus. Fr. Diehl in 1973, moved to Milford, OH, where he was the Director of the Jesuit Renewal Center and served as superior of the Milford Jesuit Community. Diane Bissonette met Fr. Diehl in 1975 and has remained close friends with him ever since, “What stands out most about Fr. Diehl was his kindness to people, whenever someone questioned something he always said ‘do the loving thing.’”

In 1980, Fr. Diehl was appointed pastor of St. Xavier Church in Cincinnati. He viewed this assignment as a great and exhilarating challenge, “It’s exciting and busy. There’s a lot going on. It’s a challenge because there’s no residential community. That can be a problem.” During his time at St. Xavier he started many programs and initiatives to better serve the parishioners and the needy in the area. Some of these programs included a Business People’s Mass on the second Friday of the month, a lunch break program during Advent and Lent for business people downtown, and Project 5000, a program that asked parishioners to fill boxes with requested food items for the needy. Fr. Gene Carmichael remembers, “I once asked Fr. Diehl if he could do anything in the province what would he want to do and he said he wanted to be pastor of St. Xavier Parish. It was his dream job.”
After 16 years as pastor at St. Xavier Parish Fr. Diehl returned to the Milford Spiritual Center (now known as The Jesuit Spiritual Center at Milford) where he served as pastoral coordinator of conferences and retreats. In 2001, he was assigned to serve the Milford Jesuit Community in pastoral ministry. He was missioned to Colombiere Center in Clarkston, MI in 2005.

Fr. Diehl is survived by a brother, John Diehl, and by his sisters, Mrs. Catherine Albers, Mrs. Rosalie Snider, Mrs. Judith Saba, and Mrs. Esther Tanner.

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. Carl J. Moell, SJ November 19, 2006 Cincinnati, OH View Fr. Moell's guestbook at Legacy.com

Fr. Carl J. Moell, SJ, former associate pastor at St. Xavier Church, author best known for his writings on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Jesuit priest died on Sunday, November 19, 2006, in Cincinnati.
A native of Wapakoneta, OH, he attended St. Joseph Grammar School and High School before entering the Jesuit novitiate in Milford, OH, in 1941. In an interview in 2003, Fr. Moell reflected on his decision to join the Jesuits by saying, “I come from a small town, there were no Jesuits there, but I read about the life of St. Francis Xavier in a comic strip when I was a boy. I knew as a sixth grader that I wanted to be a priest and a Jesuit. In many ways, being ordained a Jesuit priest was a dream come true. It was my goal in life.”
During his Jesuit studies, he earned an A.B. in Latin from Loyola University Chicago in 1945, as well as a Ph.L. in philosophy (1947) and an S.T.L in theology (1954), both from West Baden College. He then went to the Gregorian University in Rome where he earned his S.T.D. in 1959. “I’d never have been able to go to college were it not for the Society of Jesus,” Fr. Moell once said. “The spiritual formation and intellectual education I’ve received as a Jesuit have been some of the most significant parts of my life.” He was ordained to the priesthood on June 17, 1953.

Fr. Moell’s principal appointments as a Jesuit include teaching at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, IL, from 1947-1950 prior to his ordination, and then in 1957, after his ordination, teaching dogmatic and ascetical theology at St. Mary’s of the Lake, Chicago’s archdiocesan seminary in Mundelein, IL. In 1967, he was assigned to teach philosophy at Milford novitiate in Milford, OH, before being asked to serve as province secretary in Oak Park, IL, in 1970.

He returned to Cincinnati two years later, and taught theology at Xavier University from 1972 to 1982. During his years at XU he also served as Co-Vicar for Religious for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati from 1972 to 1974. He was appointed rector of the St. Xavier High School Jesuit community from 1974–1977, and served as chair of the theology department at XU from 1978 to 1982.
In 1983, Fr. Moell was called to Rome to become assistant procurator at the Curia of the Society of Jesus. Fr. Jack O’Callaghan, SJ, who worked closely with Fr. Moell during his time in Rome recalls, “He was the man who brought the first computer to the Curia, [Jesuit worldwide headquarters] and started the Office of the Procurator General on the road to modernity.”

Fr. Moell left Rome in 1996, and returned to Cincinnati to serve as associate pastor at St. Xavier Church for a year and in 1997, became superior of the Jesuits in the Lexington Diocese. He returned to St. Xavier Church in 1999 as an associate pastor. Fr. Robert O’Connor, SJ, fellow associate pastor at St. Xavier Church remembers, “Fr. Moell was quietly and happily a priest, offering the Eucharist was his favorite part of ministry but he also greatly enjoyed taking care of the Sisters throughout the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Our parishioners will probably remember him most for his warm smile and passion for singing.”

During his lifetime, Fr. Moell published a number of books including:
The Sacred Heart Encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XI (1953); a translation of Mystery and Prophecy by A. Michel (1954); Il S.Cuore Nel Mondo Moderno (1957); Vicarious Reparation in Relation to Devotion to the Sacred Heart (1958); a translation of Sign of Salvation: The Sacred Heart of Jesus by Eduoard Glotin, SJ (1989); Pope John Paul II, Angelus meditations on the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1992); and the English translation of CG 34, Complementary Norms of Constitutions SJ published by the Institute of Jesuit Sources in St. Louis (1996). In the years before his death he edited and published Holy Father, Sacred Heart, The Wisdom of John Paul II on the Greatest Catholic Devotion.

“He served in a variety of ministries with quiet competence from Wapakoneta to Rome to Cincinnati,” says Fr. Edward Schmidt, provincial of the Chicago Province.
“Fr. Moell's service to the worldwide Society of Jesus, and especially to the U.S. provinces, was unobtrusive and largely unsung, but very real and hugely important,” notes Fr. O’Callaghan.

Fr. Moell, who was one of fourteen children, is survived by his sisters, Mary Mahoney, Virginia Uppenkamp (Richard), and his brothers Robert, George, and Thomas.

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 W. Steenken, SJ October 18, 2006 Clarkston, MI View Fr. Steenken's guestbook at Legacy.com

Fr. George W. Steenken, SJ, long-time teacher and counselor at Saint Ignatius College Prep and Loyola Academy and award-winning gardener died Wednesday, October 18, 2006, at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, MI.

Fr. George Steenken, a native of Covington, KY, attended St. Benedict Grade School in his hometown and later St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. In 1941, after his freshman year at Xavier University, he entered the Jesuits at their novitiate in Milford, OH. “We grew up together, attended the same grade school and I entered the novitiate a year after he did. I remember him always being very close to his siblings, a real family man,” Fr. Robert Dressman, SJ, recalls. During his studies to become a Jesuit, Fr. Steenken, earned an AB from Xavier University and taught at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, OH. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1954.

After his ordination, Fr. Steenken continued his studies, earning an MA in economics from St. Louis University and an STB (bachelor’s degree in sacred theology) from West Baden College in Indiana. In 1957 he was assigned to Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, IL, where he served as minister of the Jesuit community for three years. Fr. Steenken was then assigned to Loyola Academy in Wilmette, IL, to teach sociology and serve as the assistant principal for one year before returning to his alma matter, St. Xavier High School, in Cincinnati, OH. He filled a variety of roles at Xavier throughout his seven-year tenure, including teaching history, religion, and theology; serving as a counselor to all grades; and moderating student council and the debate team.
In 1970 Fr. Steenken was assigned to Bellarmine School of Theology in Chicago (now defunct), where he served as a minister for two years before rejoining the faculty at Loyola Academy. A popular professor and guide to the students, he taught theology and religious studies for several years before joining the counseling department full-time and working with all grade levels. “Fr. Steenken was a very caring Jesuit who looked after the needs of our students,” says Les Seitzinger, Loyola Academy’s director of admission and a 1988 graduate of the school. “In addition to using his gifts as a counselor to help the students, he shared his gifts as a gardener by planting lots of trees in our main quad. Nature was an important part of his spirituality, and his memory lives on in the things he planted.”

After almost 20 years at Loyola Academy Fr. Steenken moved to Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, IL, where he took on the duty of gardener as well as retreat director. Fr. John Dillon, SJ, former director of Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House remembers, “Fr. Steenken was a genuinely good community man whose care and concern was obvious in all his personal dealings. He created an atmosphere of genuine hospitality,” Fr. Steenken won several awards for his gardens at Bellarmine. Fr. Dillon recalls, “He had an eye for beauty and the care to bring it out.”

In 2006 Fr. Steenken retired to Colombiere Jesuit Community in Clarkston, MI.

He is survived by his brother John Steenken, and sisters Margaret Mary Johnson and Camille Haverkamp.

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. Theodore J. Tracy, SJ October 2, 2006 Clarkston, MI View Fr. Tracy's guestbook at Legacy.com

Fr. Theodore J. Tracy, SJ, Jesuit priest, teacher, and retreat leader died on October 2, 2006.

Fr. Theodore Tracy, SJ, attended grade school at St. Ignatius parish in Chicago and graduated from Loyola Academy in 1934. After graduation he continued his studies at Loyola University Chicago where he received his AB in 1938. He entered the Jesuits in Milford, OH, in 1939. During his Jesuit studies he earned an MA from Loyola University Chicago. Fr. Robert Birely, SJ, first met Fr. Tracy at Loyola University and says, “He was a man of deep feeling and conviction and made a real effort to reach people.” Fr. Tracy was ordained a priest on June 13, 1950, at West Baden College in Indiana.

After his ordination, Fr. Tracy continued his studies and earned an MA and PhD in Classics and Philosophy from Princeton University as well as an STL from West Baden College in 1951. After finishing his studies, Fr. Tracy taught Greek for a semester at the Milford Novitiate before joining the staff of Loyola University Chicago as an instructor in the Greek and Latin departments. He went on to become assistant professor and chairman of the classics department and in 1967 became an associate professor of classical studies. He was honored with faculty person of the year in 1970. Fr. Ray Baumhart, SJ, former president of Loyola University Chicago and close friend of Fr. Tracy recalls, “The phrase that best describes Fr. Tracy is ‘a gentleman and a scholar.’”
In 1970 Fr. Tracy was assigned to University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and served as an associate professor of classics for 11 years. Fr. Birely remembers, “He thought he could serve the Church better through his presence at UIC and was highly esteemed by his colleagues there.” His legacy is still felt at UIC with the Tracy Lecture Series, which began in 1984 and is sponsored by the classics department.

Fr. Tracy served as superior of Ignatius House in Chicago, which he helped found, for a year before he joined the staff of the Institute for Spiritual Leadership in Chicago. “The main thing you remember about Ted is his gentleness,” says Fr. Paul Mueller, SJ, who lived for in community with Fr. Tracy. “He was an accomplished academic but later in life embraced the simpler things, he worked in spirituality and became interested in the holistic relationship of body and spirit.”

In 1990 he rejoined Loyola University Chicago, this time in the ministry department. For the next 15 years he served as a retreat leader and spiritual director. “He was the kindest, most supportive, sympathetic, and wise pastoral minister that I knew,” recalls Anita Butler, health care consultant to the Province, “He was just a very gracious and wonderful Jesuit who was kind to everyone and always had a smile on his face.” Fr. Tracy retired to Colombiere Center in Clarkston, MI in 2005.
He is survived by two sisters, Mary Elizabeth Diffendal and Sr. Katherine Tracy, SHCJ.

To read University of Illinois Chicago professor John T. Ramsey's special memorial tribute to Fr. Tracy click here

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. Thomas L. Kenealy, SJ August 26, 2006 Chicago, IL

Fr. Thomas L. Kenealy, chaplain, retreat director, and Jesuit priest died on August 26, 2006.

A native of Cincinnati, OH, he attended grade school at St. Francis de Sales and St. Mark before attending Purcell High School. After high school he joined the Air Force and served in the armored infantry and engineers divisions from 1942 to 1946. He also attended Vanderbilt University for one year before going abroad to study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. In 1947 he entered the Jesuit novitiate at the Milford novitiate in Milford, OH. During his Jesuit studies he earned an A.B. in history and Latin in 1952, and an M.A. in history and philosophy from in 1957 from Loyola University Chicago. He also received a Ph.L from West Baden College in 1953, as well as an S.T.L. in 1959. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1958.

After his ordination, Fr. Kenealy worked at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago for one year as a minister and treasurer before being assigned to Xavier University in Cincinnati, where he served as an instructor in theology for three years. In 1964 he was assigned to serve as director of the Junior Brothers Training Program in Milford, OH, a position he held for three years. He went on to earn his S.T.D. in 1972 from The Catholic University of America. Fr. Kenealy was then assigned to serve in Rome as an instructor and chaplain for the Irish Christian Brother’s Tertianship. Fr. Paul Robb, SJ, entered the Jesuits with Fr. Kenealy and remembers him fondly, “He was always searching for something more to serve the greater glory of God. That’s what made him a great Jesuit.”
While serving in Rome, Fr. Kenealy’s pastoral gifts became evident and were put to use through many assignments as a chaplain. In 1973 he was assigned to serve as chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ. In 1977 Fr. Kenealy was assigned to serve as the director of pastoral care at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, IN.

After five years at St. Catherine’s he was assigned to serve as chaplain of the Westlake Community Hospital in Melrose Park, IL. Beginning in 1990 he served as a traveling retreat director and served retreatants across the country. In 1992 he served as a chaplain at Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights, IL. After two years in Palos Heights he moved to Moncks Corner, SC, where he lived and worked with the Trappist Monks. In 1995, after spending a year with the Trappist Monks, he joined the Canisius House community and served the pastoral needs of the Carmelite Sisters in Des Plaines, IL. In 2006, after a short stint recovering at Colombiere Center, he was assigned to serve as a chaplain to The Handmaids of the Precious Blood in Lake Villa, IL. Fr. Ray Baumhart, SJ, who was a year ahead of Fr. Kenealy in the novitiate, commends him for his selfless devotion to others, “Tom had an excellent work ethic, he could have stayed at Colombiere (the Jesuit retirement community) and retired after he finished recovering from an ailment, but he insisted on coming back and going back to work for the sisters. He knew that there is a shortage of priests and that he was needed.”

Fr. Daniel Flaherty, SJ, who served as Fr. Kenealy’s local superior, saw his friend as a model Jesuit: “From St. Ignatius’s standpoint, Fr. Kenealy was the ideal Jesuit in the sense that he did whatever needed to be done. He was not a classroom teacher, but he taught at the high school and college levels. He served as a hospital chaplain and director of pastoral care, was a spiritual director, and gave retreats. In the old Jesuit catalogs, which were all in Latin, we had a category called operarius, meaning “worker,” and that was what Tom was. He served wherever there was a need. He was wonderful with people—he had a great heart and was a warm person. And that is what Ignatius had in mind.”

Fr. Thomas L. Kenealy, SJ, is survived by his sister Helen Frances Diemer (Donald).
Visitation will be held on Wed. August 30th from 3 PM to 7 PM at St. Ignatius Church, 6559 N. Glenwood Ave. (at Loyola Ave.) followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 7:30 PM. Internment service will be held on Thursday August 31st, at 10 AM in the Internment Chapel at All Saints Cemetery, (between Golf and Central Rd.) Des Plaines. For more information please call John E. Maloney Funeral Home (773) 764-1617.

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. Allan F. Kirk, SJ August 9, 2006 Chicago, IL View Fr. Kirk's guestbook at Legacy.com

Fr. Allan F. Kirk, SJ, former dean of Saint Ignatius College Prep, counselor, chaplain at Loyola University Medical Center, and Jesuit priest died on August 9, 2006.

Fr. Kirk attended St. Margaret Mary and St. Rita grade schools in Chicago and graduated from Saint Ignatius College Prep in 1952. Shortly after graduation he entered the Jesuits at the Milford Novitiate. In his studies as a Jesuit he earned an A.B. in Latin and Philosophy in 1957, and a Ph.L in 1959 both from West Baden College. He also earned an M.A. in history from Loyola University Chicago as well as a ME.d in Counseling and Guidance in 1979; he also received a S.T.L. from Bellarmine School of Theology in 1966. Fr. Kirk was ordained on June 10, 1965 in Aurora, Illinois.

After ordination Fr. Kirk was assigned to the Milford Novitiate where his Jesuit career began many years before. At the novitiate he served as the socius to the master of novices for two years. In 1968 he joined Brebeuf Jesuit College Prepatory High School in Indianapolis, IN where he served on the faculty for a year. Fr. Kirk was assigned to St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, OH, in 1969 and served the school for two years as a minister and assistant principal. Fr. Bill Verbryke, SJ, met Fr. Kirk as a student there and quickly related to him as a mentor, “He was a Jesuit through and through, he loved the Society and enjoyed being of service to anyone he could help,” he remembers. “He was always extremely happy to see you.”

In 1971 Fr. Kirk began almost 20 years of service to Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. He joined the school as a minister and counselor, but quickly assumed the role of dean. After his term as dean ended in 1977, he began teaching at the school and continued until 1990. In addition to teaching at St. Ignatius, he also served as a minister and counselor.

In 1991, Fr. Kirk began another long term of service, this time at Loyola University, first in the Medical Center where he served as a chaplain for ten years. “His years as a chaplain at the Medical Center brought out the best in him, he was incredibly kind and jovial,” remembers Fr. Jim Gschwend, SJ, who has known Fr. Kirk since high school and entered the novitiate with him. In 2001 Fr. Kirk began working at the Loyola University Jesuit Residence where he served as a spiritual director, house periodical librarian, and switchboard operator. He was also active in ministry for the past 15 years on weekends at Ascension Church in Oak Park, Illinois.
Sr. Rosemary Duncan, r.c., who first met Fr. Kirk a few months before his ordination and has been a good friend since recalls, “He loved serving his Jesuit brothers in his role as a minister to several Jesuit communities; his delightful personality, wonderful sense of humor and fierce loyalty made him a great friend to many.”
Fr. Kirk is survived by his dear cousin Rose Mary (George) Bohn.

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 C. Baumiller, SJ July 13, 2006 Cincinnati, OH View Fr. Baumiller's guestbook at Legacy.com

(Maryland) Fr. Robert C. Baumiller, SJ, 75, died unexpectedly following heart surgery on Thursday, July 13, 2006, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a Jesuit for 52 years and a priest for 41 years.

Father Baumiller was born in Baltimore, Md., on April 15, 1931. A graduate of Loyola High School in Towson, Md., (1945-1949) and Loyola College in Maryland (1949-1953), Father Baumiller entered the Society of Jesus at the Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues, Wernersville, Pa., on July 30, 1953 and pronounced his First Vows on July 31, 1955. After pursuing Juniorate (college) studies at Wernersville from 1955 to 1956, he was sent to study philosophy at St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo., from 1956 to 1959.

As a Jesuit Scholastic, Father Baumiller spent his regency in graduate studies at St. Louis University (1959-1961) where he received a Ph.D. in biology. He then did post-doctoral work in biology at the University of Wisconsin (1961-1962). From 1962 to 1966, he pursued his theological studies for the priesthood at Woodstock College in Maryland and was ordained in the Woodstock College Chapel by Cardinal Lawrence Sheehan, archbishop of Baltimore, on June 12, 1965. Father Baumiller remained at Woodstock College to continue post-doctoral research in biology from 1966 to 1967 and then was sent to the Jesuit Martyrs Shrine, Auriesville, N.Y., for Tertianship from 1967 to 1968. Father Baumiller made his Final Profession in the Society of Jesus on August 15, 1971, at Georgetown University.

After completing Tertianship, Father Baumiller taught obstetrics and gynecology in the Georgetown University Medical School from 1968 to 1974. Following a sabbatical year from 1974 to 1975, he returned to Georgetown to teach biology in the graduate school and pediatrics in the medical school until 1991, when he became dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, Mi.

From 1995 until his death, Father Baumiller held the positions of associate dean of health programs and professor of biology and philosophy at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio. “Fr. Baumiller was passionate about research, study and dialogue,” said Michael J. Graham, SJ, president of Xavier University. “He was at the forefront of genetic research and genetic counseling… and initiated many dialogues on the topic of genetics and spirituality and faith and ethics. Fr. Baumiller will be missed not only by the Xavier community, but by the many lives he touched through his dedication to his work.”

In addition to his work as associate dean, Father Baumiller was also a guest professor at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Human Genetics. He chaired Xavier's Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Goodwyn IRB, an international commercial IRB. He was a special consultant to Project Hope for its Gaucher Disease Initiative. He served on the Ohio Birth Defects Advisory Council and was an elected board member of the Bioethics Network of Ohio.

Father Baumiller also served on a Data Safety Monitoring Board for the National Institutes of Health, the Genetics Advisory Committee for Catholic Healthcare Partners, and the Ethics Committee for Bayley Place. He was a member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the University of Cincinnati.

In 2002, Father Baumiller was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing by then Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.

In 2005, he was named an honorary Fellow of The Ohio Academy of Science (OAS). Fellows have rendered some special service to The Ohio Academy of Science or have made extensive, productive scientific, technological or educational contributions to society. “Election as an honorary Fellow is the highest form of recognition by peers offered by The Ohio Academy of Science,” said Lynn E. Elfner, OAS CEO at the time of the honor.

His CV lists more than 140 publications.

“Father Baumiller was not only a distinguished professor and researcher in the area of genetics at many renowned colleges and universities, he was also a very faithful and loyal member of the Jesuit community,” said Joseph A. Bracken, SJ, acting superior of Xavier’s Jesuit community.

Fellow Xavier community member Robert E. Hurd, SJ, also has fond memories of Fr. Baumiller, "The way we first met can perhaps best illustrate the impact that Fr. Baumiller could have on a person’s life and career. I had been visiting my father for a few weeks after tertianship, our Jesuit renewal year before final vows, and had been discerning with my superiors where I might next be assigned. It dawned on me that there was this famous Fr. Baumiller also in Cincinnati upon whom I might perhaps bounce off some ideas for my future. So I went to the public library one morning and sent him an e-mail asking if we might meet some time. By the time I got back to dad’s place for lunch, Fr. Baumiller had already spoken to my father and had made plans for us to get together."


Father Baumiller is survived by two sisters, Dorothy Ann Flannery of Davie, Fla., and Harriet B. Perrelli of Towson, Md., and many nieces and nephews.

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. Paul J. Clifford, SJ June 16, 2006 Colombiere Center Clarkston, MI View Fr. Clifford's guestbook at Legacy.com

Fr. Paul J. Clifford, SJ, Chicago native and long-time Jesuit teacher, pastor, and chaplain, died on June 16, at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, MI, of kidney failure.

A native of Chicago, Fr. Paul Clifford attended grammar school at St. Ignatius Parish and high school at Loyola Academy before entering the Jesuit novitiate at Milford, OH, in 1943. In the course of his Jesuit studies, he earned two degrees from Loyola University—an AB in Latin and English in 1948 and an MA in English and philosophy in 1953. Fr. Clifford was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1956, at West Baden College in Indiana.

Fr. Clifford’s principal appointments as a Jesuit included teaching from 1950 to 1953 at University of Detroit High School during the regency period of his Jesuit formation (following a two to three-year period of studies that include philosophy and theology, Jesuits enter the regency phase of formation, which entails working in a school or other approved apostolate of the Society of Jesus for another two to three years) . From 1958 to 1975, he served at Loyola Academy, in Wilmette, IL, where he taught Latin and religion, chaired the Religious Affairs Board, and from 1970-1975 served as rector of the Jesuit Community. As a candidate for the Jesuits, Fr. Rick McGurn, SJ, rector of the Loyola Academy Jesuit Community, was led through his first retreat by Fr. Clifford. Shortly thereafter, Fr. Clifford went out of his way to land McGurn a teaching job at Loyola Academy. “He saw the good in everybody and reminded them of it constantly. One of the reasons that everybody loved Paul is that he was always glad to see you and that was very affirming,” McGurn remembers.

In 1975 Fr. Clifford was appointed tertian instructor for the Chicago Province, and for the next seven years guided Jesuits through “tertianship,” which is the phase of prayer, guidance, and study that precedes final vows. During this time he also served as an associate chaplain for students at Loyola University Chicago and as an associate pastor at St. Ignatius Parish from 1978 to 1982. In 1982, he became chaplain at Loyola University’s Water Tower Campus and also served as superior of the University’s Jesuit Community until 1989, when he was appointed acting pastor of Holy Family Parish in Chicago. “Fr. Paul was a kind, gracious, competent Jesuit priest who was a very dedicated community man,” says Fr. George Lane, SJ, president of Loyola Press and former Holy Family community member. Fr. Clifford remained at Holy Family for a year, when he was named superior of Faber Jesuit Community in Cincinnati, OH, a position he held for six years. During his time at Faber Jesuit Community he was able to work with his close friend Fr. Donald O’Shaughnessy, SJ, a friend he made while in the novitiate. “Paul always gave everything he had to retreatants and those looking for spiritual direction despite his important duties as superior of Faber House,” remembers Fr. O’Shaughnessy.

In 1996, Fr. Clifford returned to Loyola Academy, where he served for a year as associate chaplain for faculty and staff. In 1997 he was assigned to St. Ignatius Parish in Chicago as an associate pastor, a position he had held 15 years earlier. In 2000, he requested to be assigned to the Colombiere Jesuit Community in Clarkston, MI, to minister to the older and infirm Jesuits who reside in this retirement/assisted living facility. Fr. O’Shaughnessy comments, “He made every effort to make time for people and greatly enjoyed leading retreats. Paul was a very caring and encouraging person; he always saw the positive side of things.” Right up to his final days, Fr. Clifford prayed for and with his Jesuit brothers, said Mass, and prayed for the people of God all over the world.

Fr. Clifford is survived by his sister-in-law Charlotte Clifford, nephews Walt Clifford (Maria), Paul Clifford (Elena), John Clifford, niece Mary Christine Doyle (Brian) and cousin Judy Craig (widow of William).

Visitation for Fr. Clifford will be held on Sunday June 18, at 7 PM at Colombiere Center Chapel in Clarkston, MI and on Tuesday, June 20 from 3- 7 PM at St. Ignatius Church, 6559 N. Glenwood, Chicago, IL. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, June 20 at 7:30 PM at St. Ignatius Church 6559 N. Glenwood Ave, Chicago, IL, with burial on Wednesday, June 21 at 10 AM, All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, IL.

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. Edward E. Cincoski, SJ February 9, 2006 Colombiere Center Clarkston MI View Fr. Cincoski's guestbook at Legacy.com

Fr. Edward E. Cincoski, SJ, Jesuit priest, teacher, and mentor died Thursday February 9, 2006, at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, MI.

Fr. Cincoski, a native of Chicago, attended Epiphany School, and Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. After graduating from St. Ignatius in 1936, he attended Loyola University Chicago for a year before entering the Jesuit novitiate in Milford, OH. During his studies to become a Jesuit, Fr. Cincoski earned both an AB and an MA in Greek, from Loyola University Chicago, as well as a PhL in 1944 and an STL in 1951 from West Baden College, IN. Fr. Cincoski was ordained to the priesthood at West Baden in 1950.

After his ordination Fr. Cincoski returned to the Milford Novitiate to serve as socius to the master of novices for two and a half years and then taught Greek to the juniors there for nine years.

In 1964, he was assigned to Loyola University Chicago, and to teach in the classical studies department until 1968 when he was asked to serve as an archivist at the provincial residence for a few years. Fr. Matthew Creighton, SJ, served as the chair of the classics department during Fr. Cincoski’s time there. Fr. Creighton remembers him fondly, “He was a talented linguist, and a dedicated priest and teacher. He often gladly took up projects that no one else wanted to do and met any challenges with enthusiasm.” Fr. Creighton adds, “He was a very fine teacher, if a kid was in trouble he would be there to help straighten him out. The Jesuits he taught are better teachers because of him.”

Fr. Cincoski returned to the classics department at Loyola University in 1970, during which time, he was an active member of the Illinois Classical Conference, the Chicago Classical Club, and the alumni board of Saint Ignatius College Prep.

In 1979, Fr. Cincoski was assigned to Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory High School in Indianapolis, IN, where he taught in the foreign language department for 4 years. Fr. Joseph Casey, SJ, taught alongside Fr. Cincoski at Brebeuf and always respected his passion and ability: “I liked that he did so many different things within the Society, he was able to move and be flexible when necessary which is the spirit of the Society of Jesus. He worked in high schools, college, parishes, and dioceses. He was a very charitable man, was very friendly, and was an excellent classics teacher.”

Beginning in 1983 he worked in pastoral and parochial ministry for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis until he was missioned to Colombiere Center in Clarkston, MI, in 1991.

Visitation will be on Friday, February 10, 2006, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Colombiere Jesuit Community Chapel in Clarkston, MI, with the wake service at 7:30 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2006, at 10:45 AM at the Colombiere Jesuit Community Chapel.

Fr. Cincoski is survived by his nephew Thomas Bradshaw (Mary) and many loving cousins.

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. Fernando Arizti, SJ February 6, 2006 Benin City, Nigeria

Fr. Fernando Arizti, SJ, painter, teacher, and Jesuit priest, died on February 6, just outside of Benin City, Nigeria.

Fr. Arizti was born in Mexico City and earned high school and college degrees in Mexico. In 1954, he entered the Jesuits at the San Cayetano Novitiate and began his studies to become a Jesuit priest. He came to the United States to study theology at Bellarmine School of Theology in Aurora, IL, in 1964 and was ordained a priest on March 29, 1971, in Chicago, IL. After his ordination Fr. Arizti was assigned to Holy Family Church in Chicago and served there as an associate pastor and community organizer for 17 years. During his time at Holy Family he held a special mass each week for Spanish-speaking parishioners.

“Fr. Arizti’s passion in life was the African-American culture,” said Fr. George Lane, SJ, who lived in community with Fr. Arizti for many years. “He was also passionate about painting, especially religious murals.” Fr. Arizti’s most famous mural is at St. Sabina’s, an African-American parish on Chicago’s South Side. He also painted murals at the Dolores Mission in Los Angeles and at St. Joseph’s parish in Benin City.

In addition to his murals, Fr. Arizti would create one painting per year as a form of prayer. For two weeks each year he would focus all his attention on a single painting, only breaking to eat or sleep. His most famous painting, Black Jesus, earned him national recognition. The painting was reproduced in its original size and full color by Loyola Press. Over 9,000 copies of Black Jesus were sold, and reproductions are hanging in rectories, convents, and classrooms all across the country.

One of Fr. Arizti’s favorite hobbies was riding his motorcycle. When he was at Holy Family, he could be found each and every Saturday morning polishing his pride and joy outside the church.

After serving at Holy Family for almost two decades, Fr. Arizti went to California where he worked at the Dolores Mission in Los Angeles as an associate pastor and also spent 11 years at St. Bridgid’s in South Central LA. During his time at St. Brigid’s he was commissioned by the Josephite Fathers in Iberu, Nigeria, to paint a mural. After spending three months in Nigeria, he fell in love with the country and the people.

He left St. Brigid’s in 2002, gave up his motorcycle, and moved to Nigeria in order to serve the African people at St. Joseph parish. “When I saw Fr. Arizti in July 2005,” said Fr. Lane, “he was as happy as I had ever seen him. He was excited about his parish work at St. Joseph’s, painting and teaching homiletics.”

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.