St. George, John P.

Fr. John P. St. George, S.J. age 77 died  at the Jesuit infirmary, Murray-Weigel Hall, in the Bronx, NY on 18 December, 2011.   He has resided there beginning in 2007.

Born in Teaneck, NJ on  August 29, 1934,  he was the only son of  John and Stephanie (Weigl) St. George.

His interest in the priesthood and the Society of Jesus developed during his four years of high school at Regis High School, graduating from there in 1952.  In that same year on 30 July  he entered the Society of Jesus at St. Andrew-on-Hudson,  Poughkeepsie, NY.

After pronouncing his first vows  at St. Andrews on July 31, 1954, he began his collegiate studies there, for two years, until 1956. Because of his interest and ability in the sciences, he continued his collegiate and philosophy studies at Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL  from 1956-59.  For the next few years, 1959-63, instead of teaching during Regency, he began his doctoral studies in Chemistry at Fordham University.

From 1963-67 he studied theology in preparation for the priesthood at Woodstock College, Woodstock, MD.   He was ordained to the priesthood by Francis Cardinal Spellman  on 9 June, 1966  at the University Church of  Fordham University.

Tertianship, his final year of Jesuit formation, was completed at Auriesville, NY (1967-68)  and he pronounced his final vows as a Jesuit at St. Peter’s College, NJ on 2 February 1971.

St. Peter’s College and Jesuit Community would be his home and place of apostolic work for the next 39 years, from 1968 to 2007.   In addition to teaching Chemistry  during those years, he assisted in student retreats  and on many occasions he officiated at the marriage of former students. In the Jesuit community he was known for his warm hospitality both in Jersey City and at the Jesuit villa  at Deal, NJ