In Memoriam
We give thanks for the following Jesuits who have gone home to God.
Fr. James A. Stoeger, SJ
August 4, 1946 – February 22, 2025
“Jim was a kind, thoughtful, joyful and gracious man who loved being a Jesuit and a priest. As evidenced by his words and deeds, his prayer focused on gratitude and consolation, and he modeled the Suscipe. Jim cared about and listened to others, and people found it easy to be with and talk to him.”
Religion teacher at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill., and St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati; headmaster of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.; principal at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis; provincial assistant for secondary education and pastoral ministries, provincial assistant for vocations, and provincial assistant for planning in the Chicago Province; vice president of the Jesuit Conference in Washington D.C.; and president of the Jesuit Secondary Education Association (JSEA), the forerunner of the Jesuit Schools Network. Missioned to Colombiere Center and later to St. Camillus Jesuit Community.
Fr. Thomas A. Caldwell, SJ
January 24, 1926 – March 4, 2025
“Tom was a devoted Jesuit and priest who loved being with others. A defining trait of Tom was his cura personalis. Not only did he see Christ in each person he encountered, but he also treated each person as he would treat Jesus. He was welcoming, hospitable and enjoyable to be with. Tom’s focus was always on others and not on himself.”
Latin and Greek teacher at his alma mater, Marquette University Jesuit High School; theology professor at Marquette University for more than four decades, where he was also minister, guestmaster and prefect of health for the Jesuit Community. Missioned to St. Camillus Jesuit Community.
Fr. Dennis T. Dillon, SJ
March 31, 1939 – April 21, 2025
“Dennis was a pastor at heart who drew strength from the Eucharist and encouraged others to seek solace in the sacraments. With his smile and welcoming attitude, he engaged people and made them feel cared for. He cared for and worked with the poor and those on the margins.”
English and speech teacher at his alma mater, Saint Ignatius High School (SIHS) in Cleveland, where he helped start the Cleveland Urban Learning Community, an alternative high school formed in 1970 as an experimental program of SIHS; film studies professor at Cleveland State University; communications professor at John Carroll University (JCU) and director of “Cleveland on Stage,” a program in which four major cultural institutions performed on the campus of JCU; prison minister in Ohio; coordinator of social apostolates, director of the Midwest Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) and provincial assistant for formation in the Detroit Province; acting pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, associate pastor of Most Holy Trinity Church, pastor of St. Brigid Parish, pastor of Gesu Parish and superior of the Gesu Parish Jesuit Community, all in Detroit; English and communications teacher at the Jesuit Training Center in Kathmandu, Nepal; superior of the Jesuit Spirituality Mission Community in Cleveland; director of the Cleveland Spirituality Team; retreat minister at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Cleveland; pastor of Holy Rosary/ St. John Parish in Columbus, Ohio; pastoral minister at St. Mary Student Parish in Ann Arbor, Mich.; missioned to Colombiere Center.
Fr. James F. Vorwoldt, SJ
January 13, 1938 – April 27, 2025
“Jim was a devoted priest who loved to help people on the margins encounter Christ. He was a dedicated teacher who enjoyed helping students express themselves through art. Not only was he proud of his former students, but many of them were his friends. Jim truly cared for those with which he lived and worked. He preferred to show his care for others in actions rather than words.”
English and religion teacher at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati; art/photography teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago for 36 years; minister of the Woodlawn Jesuit Community in Chicago for eight years; missioned to St. Camillus Jesuit Community.
Fr. Albert J. Bischoff, SJ
January 19, 1927 – June 6, 2025
“Al was a devoted priest and Jesuit. He was easy to be with and was genuinely interested in each person he spoke with. He listened to others as if he were listening to Jesus—with rapt attention, total commitment to the conversation and love for the person. He knew God loved everyone and, through his limitless cura personalis, helped others to accept—and return—that love.”
Associate pastor of Saint Ignatius Parish in Chicago; chaplain at the House of Prayer at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.; campus minister at Xavier University in Cincinnati for 30 years, where he was affectionately known as “Father B,” and at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, where he also served as rector of the Brebeuf Jesuit Community; missioned to Colombiere Center.
To read the full obituaries of Jesuits who have gone home to God, visit us at www.jesuitsmidwest.org/In-Memoriam
IN THIS ISSUE
ON THE COVER
The 2025 ordinands at Madonna della Strada Chapel on the campus of Loyola University Chicago following ordination Mass at St. Ita Church in Chicago.
Photo: Steve Donisch