Haske, Henry B.

Jesuit Father Henry B. Haske, a former Maryland socius whose ministry took him from the classroom to the retreat center, died on Oct. 21, 2012, while on vacation in Kiawah Island, S.C. A Jesuit for 67 years and a priest for 55, Fr. Haske was 85.

Henry B. Haske was born June 5, 1927, the son of Margaret Stadter and Henry B. Haske of Baltimore. Following graduation from Loyola High School in Baltimore in 1945, he entered the Society of Jesus at the Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues in Wernersville, Pa., in 1945. He pronounced his First Vows, Feb. 15, 1947.

He attended Woodstock College, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1950, an M.A. in classics in 1951, a second M.A. in 1951 and his licentiate in sacred theology in 1958.

Fr. Haske was ordained to the priesthood June 23, 1957.

As a scholastic, Fr. Haske went to Scranton Preparatory School, where for three years he taught Latin and Greek to sophomores and juniors.

Fr. Haske went to Osorno, Chile, as part of the first group of Maryland Jesuits asked to staff  a school there. He was a minister, treasurer and teacher at Colegio San Mateo from 1959 to 1961. He then served as rector of Colegio San Mateo from 1965 to 1971.

In 1971, Fr. Haske returned to the United States, spending a year as assistant director at the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth in Wernersville and then three years as vice superior and retreat director at Manresa-on-the-Severn retreat house in Annapolis, Md.

Fr. Haske took on leadership roles for the Maryland Province with his next assignment. He was named assistant tertian director and co-director of novices, first at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School from 1975 to 1979 and then at the novitiate from 1979 to 1980. He returned to this position from 1986 to 1991. (Tertianship is a period of study and prayer usually made 10-15 years after novitiate; Jesuits usually pronounce Final Vows when the tertianship has ended.)

In 1980, Fr. Haske became socius, an executive assistant to the provincial, assistant for international apostolates and superior, positions he held for six years.

Fr. Haske’s later assignments included campus ministry and religion teacher at Gonzaga High School (1991-1997), superior and minister at Georgetown Preparatory School (1997-2000), pastoral minister at Holy Trinity Church in Nags Head, N.C., (2000-2001) and coordinator for common apostolic projects in Washington, D.C. (2001-2003).

In 2003, Fr. Haske was named superior and director of the nursing community at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, remaining until 2007. He then spent a sabbatical year at Loyola Blakefield before returning to Scranton Prep as senior Jesuit priest and pastoral minister. He was still serving in this capacity at the time of his death.