Catholic Theological
Society of America

The CTSA mourns the loss of its beloved member Paul Crowley, S.J.  Below is Santa Clara's tribute of Paul the university community. 

Eternal rest, grant unto Paul, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May Paul's soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 

Dear Members of the University Community, Today, we lost one of our beloved faculty members, Paul Crowley, S.J., Santa Clara Jesuit Community Professor in Religious Studies, after his long battle with cancer. We join with the Jesuit community in mourning Paul’s loss and pray for consolation for all of us who loved and cared for him.  Since 1989, Paul served the Santa Clara University community with generosity, gentleness, and a profound holiness that grounded his teaching, scholarship and vocation. Over his years at Santa Clara, he held the titles of professor of religious studies, department chair, and member of numerous committees and planning initiatives that would guide the University’s understanding of its Jesuit Catholic mission in the world.  Paul’s contributions to the Church and all people of faith as a renowned and gifted theologian are expansive. Paul taught theology in the Religious Studies Department, Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries and at the Jesuit School of Theology. His teaching also brought him to Stanford University and the Weston School of Theology, now the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, as a visiting professor. He was a prolific writer with numerous award-winning publications, with books on Karl Rahner, Robert McAfee Brown, pluralism in the Church, and faith and suffering. Paul was very active in his profession, having served as editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal of the Society of Jesus, Theological Studies, and as a member of its board. He also held appointments on the boards of the Catholic Theological Society of America, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, and Jesuit School of Theology.   Paul held an inclusive view of faith that reflected an Ignatian ministry of hospitality. As one of his colleagues reflected, “It is very easy to describe Paul and his life as a priest, professor, and friend. This word is simply this: Paul is a holy man. What a gift his holiness is to all of us!”  On a personal note, I am a better Jesuit, priest, theologian, and person because of Paul. By his writing and example, he always reminded me that before everything else, we are human, and it is in the human -- in our beauty and brokenness --  that we meet the divine.  We all have been so very blessed with Paul as priest, professor and friend. After such a generous life spent for others, we are confident he now rests in the peace of God, whom he spent his life leading others to. May God grant him eternal rest with the communion of saints! Notes of condolence may be sent to the Jesuit Community: Jesuit Community Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95053 Sincerely, Kevin F. O'Brien, S.J. President

Hello Colleagues,

Just want to let you know that I have developed a new website on Pope Francis's reform of the church.  It is an effort to inform Catholics in the U.S. of the teachings and views of pope Francis, something that they do not often hear from the U.S. bishops and priests. Check it out if you like.

John Connolly

https://www.ref21cencath.com/

During graduate studies in ethics and society at the University of Chicago Divinity School in the late 1980s, I lived a few blocks from the Henry Moore sculpture commemorating the first self-sustained nuclear reaction, a key moment in the development of the atomic bomb. I often wondered what went through the minds of those brilliant contributors to the Manhattan Project as they labored under the bleachers of Stagg Field. As we mark the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, perhaps this reflective return to that site, published in the Martin Marty Center's "Sightings," will aid your own reflections on those deeply troubled times--and on ours. 

https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/articles/moral-reckoning-under-mushroom-cloud

CFP - due 10/1/20, Annual Meeting of the Society for Christian Scholarship in Music (Feb. 25-27, 2021) Mercer University, Macon, GA.

CFP - due 8/15/20, Newman: Scholar, Convert, Reformer, Cardinal, Saint (Oct. 23), Regis College.

Rev. Valentine J. Peter, “Val
November 20, 1934 – June 30, 2020

Father Valentine J. Peter expanded Father Flanagan’s dream of changing the way America cares for her children and families. He led the growth of Boys Town from the Village of Boys Town, Nebraska, eventually to 19 sites in 14 states and Washington D.C. 

An Omaha native, Father Peter was the fourth executive director of Boys Town. He assumed the post June 15, 1985.  Under his direction, Boys Town grew to provide direct care, including hospital treatment, to more than 43,000 children each year. A million more were helped each year through outreach and training programs. 

Father Peter is on the boards or committees of more than 20 national and local organizations. He has published numerous books and popular and scholarly articles.  Father Peter holds doctorate degrees in both Canon Law and Theology. 

His service to children as a youth advocate, educator, and friend has spanned more than four decades. Father Peter retired as Executive Director of Boys Town on July 1, 2005.  He served as Executive Director Emeritus and Senior Associate Pastor at the Immaculate Conception Dowd Memorial Chapel for a number of years before fully retiring and moving to New Cassel Retirement Home in Omaha.  He continued his mission of working with Boys Town alumni until his passing. 

Father Peter passed away on June 30, 2020 and is buried in his family plot in Omaha, Nebraska.  

Above text was written and posted online by:

Boys Town National Alumni Association, June 2020,  accessed  July 27, 2020 at https://www.boystownalumni.org/article.html?aid=157.

See also: 

https://heafeyheafey.com/rev-val-j-peter/

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

On June 3, 2020, the CTSA Board approved a Statement on Racial Injustice.  The full text of the document is posted at https://ctsa-online.org/BoardStatements.  

Acknowledgements:

The members who contributed to produce this statement include the leadership of the CTSA Committee on Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups (CUERG), Cristina Lledo Gomez and Melissa Pagán-Rubalcaba, with a special intervention by Joseph Flipper in consultation with Bryan Massingale, and Board members María Pilar Aquino, Paul Lakeland, and Kevin Burke. The Board is grateful for their contribution.

Join the conversation by logging into the CTSA website and post a comment.

Fr. Daniel R. Kendall, S.J. passed away at 2:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 26 at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. Please keep him and his fellow Jesuits in your prayers.

Dan's bio listed on USFCA's website:  https://www.usfca.edu/faculty/daniel-kendall

Eternal rest grand unto Dan, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May His soul and the souls of the faithful departed
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace.

The CTSA remembers long standing member Sr. Suzanne Noffke, O.P. who died on April 14, 2020.  The following text is from the Dominican Sisters of Racine, Wisconsin (https://oppeace.org/blog/2020/04/15/sr-suzanne-noffke-op/).

Sr. Suzanne Noffke, OP, a Racine Dominican author and linguist, went home to God on Tuesday, April 14 after a long illness. She was 83 years old. Born Ione Noffke, she entered the aspirancy at 15. At 18, she was received into the Congregation received the name Sister Suzanne. A few years later she began teaching and earned a bachelor’s degree from Dominican College and a doctorate in linguistics from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.

She went on to serve as president of the community, as well as a translator, writer and historian, but was best known as one of the world’s leading experts on Saint Catherine of Siena. She lectured internationally and led numerous retreats based on the life and thought of Saint Catherine. She also published annotated translations of all of Catherine’s extant works (The Dialogue, 1980; The Prayers, 1983; The Letters of Catherine of Siena, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2008), and a two-volume thematic Anthology (2011), a book of essays (Catherine of Siena: Vision Through a Distant Eye, 1996, 2006), and numerous articles.

In an interview, Sr. Suzanne said, “Every phase of my ministry has been exciting and filled with meaning for me, but especially meaningful has been my work with making accessible to others our community history and the life and thought of our patron, Catherine of Siena.” She shared her knowledge and wisdom generously throughout her lifetime.

Please hold Suzanne, her family and her many friends in your thoughts and prayers and love. May she rest in peace.

Sr. Suzanne’s body will be cremated. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.

Eternal rest grant unto Suzanne, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.