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In Memoriam

Jesuit Father Richard F. Costigan died Aug. 29, 2013, in St. Louis. He was 82 years old and a Jesuit for 62 years.

Born in Ottawa, Kan., on March 22, 1931, Fr. Costigan entered the Society of Jesus at St. Stanislaus Seminary in Florissant, Mo., on Aug. 8, 1951. He completed a Licentiate in Philosophy at Saint Louis University in 1958. After teaching history at Regis Jesuit High School in Denver, Fr. Costigan studied theology at St. Mary’s College in Kansas from 1961 to 1965. He was ordained to the priesthood in St. Mary’s on June 16, 1964.

After tertianship in Decatur, Ill., Fr. Costigan completed a master’s in political science at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. He then completed a Ph.D. in theology at the University of Ottawa in Canada.

Fr. Costigan taught history and political science at Regis University in Denver from 1972 to 1975. He then joined the theology faculty at Loyola University in Chicago, where he served for 34 years. The focus of his study was the history of ecclesiology. His wrote Rohrbacher and the Ecclesiology of Ultramontanism (Rome: Georgian University Press, 1980) as well as several articles published in Theological Studies. Fr. Costigan read extensively in the fields of theology, political science and history. Students found his classes interesting and appreciated his kindness and sense of humor.

Fr. Costigan was well loved by the Jesuits of the Loyola University Community. He was famous for the daily schedule that he followed with great precision. He enjoyed summer travels to visit fellow Jesuits and family members, visits that were always carefully planned. Toward the end of his time at Loyola, Fr. Costigan spent several semesters on the faculty of Loyola University’s John Felice Rome Center. Students enjoyed Fr. Costigan’s kind, engaging and dependable presence during their semesters of study abroad.

In 2009 Fr. Costigan retired from teaching and moved to Jesuit Hall in St. Louis where he engaged in pastoral ministry. In 2012 Fr. Costigan’s health began to decline and he joined the Fusz Pavilion community at Jesuit Hall. Fr. Costigan is survived by his brother, Joseph Costigan, and two sisters, Dorothy Mulik and Patricia Komer.

Memorial gifts may be made to the USA Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus at 4511 West Pine Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108 or through this website