Fitzpatrick, Gerald J.

Jesuit Father Gerald J. Fitzpatrick, 71, died Nov. 27, 2012, at Lankenau Hospital in Philadelphia. A Jesuit for 53 years and a priest for 41 years, Fr. Fitzpatrick, 71, served the people of Chile for 25 years as a spiritual director and pastor.

Gerald J. Fitzpatrick, the son of Florence Kilroy and Joseph Fitzpatrick, was born in Philadelphia Sept. 24, 1941. A 1959 graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia, he entered the Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues in Wernersville, Pa., in 1959. He pronounced his First Vows there Aug. 15, 1961.

Then he pursued Juniorate (College) studies in the Humanities at Wernersville from 1961 to 1963 before being sent to study philosophy at Loyola Seminary, Shrub Oak, N.Y., from 1963 to 1966.

As a Jesuit Scholastic, Fr. Fitzpatrick taught mathematics from 1966 to 1968 at The Bishop’s Latin School, Pittsburgh, Pa. He then pursued studies in theology from 1968 to 1972 at Woodstock College.

He was ordained a priest June 5, 1971, at Loyola College in Baltimore. The following year Fr. Fitzpatrick moved to Chile in 1972 where he was to remain and work for more than 25 years as a pastor and a teacher. During this period, he taught mathematics at the Colegio San Mateo in Osorno from 1972 to 1977 and was also minister of the Jesuit Community and teacher of philosophy and religion there from 1985 to 1987. He was moderator of the Christian Life Community, gave retreats in the province youth apostolate and taught mathematics and English at the Colegio San Ignacio, Santiago from 1977 to 1982. He was pastoral minister, chairman of the Pastoral and Catechetical Department, moderator of the Christian Life Community and retreat director at the Colegio San Ignacio “El Bosque” in Santiago from 1982 to 1985.

His subsequent appointments were as prefect of the Church of the Holy Name in Valparaiso from 1987 to 1989, teacher of English and religion at the Colegio San Luis in Antofagasta from 1989 to 1992 and the superior, house treasurer and professor of theology in the diocesan seminary at the Escuela San Ignacio in Valparaiso from 1992 to 1997.

Fr. Fitzpatrick returned to the United States to become assistant director of the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth from 1997 to 1999. After a year as associate pastor at Old St. Joseph’s Church in Philadelphia, he served as pastor of Holy Name Church in Camden, N.J., from 2000 to 2003, where he engaged in ministry to Hispanic Catholics. He remained in New Jersey to serve as a spiritual director of St. Pius X Retreat House in Blackwood from 2003 to 2005.

Fr. Fitzpatrick’s next assignment took him to Faulkner in southern Maryland where he was a retreat director from 2005 to 2012. Earlier this year, in failing health, he transferred to St. Claude la Colombiere to pray for the Church and the Society. He recently moved to Manresa Hall in Merion Station, Pa., where he died.