Father John Hardon, S.J., S.T.D.

(1914–2000)

On December 30th at 3:23 PM, during the Hour of Divine Mercy, Father John Hardon, S. J., journeyed into eternity to meet his beloved Savior.

Father Hardon was a spiritual advisor to the Society of St. John Cantius and for this reason its members particularly mourn his death.

Father Hardon was a man of deep faith, temendous learning, and great charity. He made a lasting and positive impact literally on the lives of thousands—on the lives of Cardinals, Bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians, consecrated men and women, and on laity from all walks of life; on Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Mohammedans; on atheists and agnostics. A rough estimate would state that he was responsible for scores of conversions to the Catholic Church. During the turbulent post-Vatican II years, Father Hardon was a beacon and mainstay of Catholic orthodoxy for innumerable priests, religious and parents.

He was truly a priest's priest, a teacher's teacher, and a theologian's theologian. In a word, he was vitally and continually interested in the salvation and sanctification of souls. In his vast love of neighbor, everything was calculated to these ends. Many who knew him can witness to the fact that if he could help them spiritually, eating and sleeping became of secondary importance to him.

During his fifty-three years of priestly life, Father Hardon experienced the cross as have few contemporary Americans. Physical pain was an everyday occurrence, but his greatest suffering came from the rejection of those who refused to accept his teaching as that of the unchanged and unchanging Catholic Faith.

Father John Hardon was also a Jesuit's Jesuit. He loved the Society of Jesus with a profound and lifelong passion. One could almost say, that to know Father Hardon was to know St. Ignatius Loyola.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon him.

Requiescat in pace.










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This page last updated
30 March 2001—Traditional Memorial of St. John Climacus, Abbot 




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