Joseph Fessio

Joseph Fessio SJ (born January 10, 1941) is an American Catholic priest of the Jesuit order and the founder and editor of Ignatius Press. He was the founding provost of Ave Maria University until March 2007.

The Reverend Father

Joseph Fessio

SJ
Orders
Ordination1972
Personal details
Birth nameJoseph Fessio
Born (1941-01-10) 10 January 1941
NationalityAmerican
DenominationCatholic (Latin Church)
ProfessionPriest, teacher, editor, journalist
Ordination history of
Joseph Fessio
History
Priestly ordination
DateJune 10, 1972

Life

Fessio attended high school at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, California, from 1954 to 1958. He took afterwards undergraduate studies in civil engineering at the University of Santa Clara, California. He entered the Jesuit novitiate on September 7, 1961.[1] Before his ordination to the priesthood, he earned a B.A (in 1966) and an M.A. (in 1967) in Philosophy from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He also earned an M.A in Theology from his studies in Lyon, France. He was ordained a priest on June 10, 1972.

In 1975, he earned his doctorate in theology from the University of Regensburg, West Germany. His thesis director was Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI. The subject of his thesis was The Ecclesiology of Hans Urs von Balthasar.[2]

Ecclesiastical and professional career

From 1966 - 1974 Fessio taught philosophy and theology at Gonzaga University and at the University of Santa Clara and University of San Francisco in California. In 1976 he founded the St. Ignatius Institute at the University of San Francisco, and in 1978 he founded and became the first editor of Ignatius Press. In the following year he became the director of Religious Books on Tape, the audio division of Ignatius Press, until 1987 when he was fired from his position as Director by Father President, John LoSchiavo, S.J., in a dispute over management of a $1,000,000 donation.[3]

In 1987 he was a Peritus at the Seventh Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops, held at the Vatican, and delivered a paper arguing that girls and women should be excluded from the offices of altar server and lector at the Catholic Mass.[4]

He was the editor of 30 Days, In the Church and the World, from 1988 to 1991, and in 1991 became the publisher of the Catholic World Report. In 1995 he was the publisher of Catholic Dossier, Catholic Faith, and Homiletic & Pastoral Review.

In 1995 he co-founded "Adoremus", the Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy.

In 1998 he founded the Catholic Radio Network.

In March 2002, he founded Campion College of San Francisco. However, that same month Thomas Smolich, the provincial superior of the Jesuits in California, ordered him to disassociate from the college and to serve as a hospital chaplain in Duarte, California, although he retained leadership of Ignatius Press.[5]

In 2002, after public outcry about his treatment by his superior, Smolich allowed Fessio to become chancellor at Ave Maria University.[6]

In 2007, he was fired from his position as provost of Ave Maria University over "irreconcilable differences over administrative policies and practices". He was reinstated as a theologian in residence the next day, and remained a supporter of the university.[7] In 2009, he was fired from his faculty position at the university after expressing concern regarding the university's financial situation due to certain policies of the administration.[8]

References
  1. Salai S.J., Sean. "What's the deal with Pope Francis' new catechism on social justice for young people?", America, September 07, 2016
  2. Fr. Joseph Fessio Biography, My Catholic Faith Delivered website
  3. Don Lattin, "Pope's help sought in theology class at USF/School protests over orthodox institute", San Francisco Chronicle (Mar. 28, 2001)
  4. J. Fessio, S.J., "Admittance of Women to Service at the Altar as Acolytes and Lectors," in Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Newsletter 11:2 (March 1988) pp. 14-16
  5. Christopher Zehnder, "Fessio Exiled: Jesuits Shun Invitation to Support New College", San Francisco Faith, 2002 Archived October 31, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Cavalli, Dimitri (January–February 2006). "Touchstone Archives: A Tale of Two Jesuits". Touchstone. 19 (1). Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  7. "Ave Maria retains Father Fessio in new capacity". Catholic World News. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  8. Fr. Joseph Fessio, "Breaking: Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J., dismissed from Ave Maria University", Ignatius Insight Scoop, 2009
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