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In Memoriam

Jesuit Father John P. Murphy died on March 14, 2017, at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, Michigan. He was 79 years old.

Fr. Murphy was born on March 10, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois. He entered the Society of Jesus on Aug. 8, 1956, at Milford Novitiate in Milford, Ohio. He was ordained on May 29, 1969, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in North Aurora, Illinois. He took final vows at Loyola University Chicago on Feb. 2, 1974.

Before entering the Society of Jesus, Fr. Murphy graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago (1954). While in the Society, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin and Greek from Xavier University in Cincinnati (1960). He earned a master’s degree in Latin and Greek (1962) and a doctorate in classical languages (1963) from Fordham University. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Gregorian University (1966), a licentiate degree in Sacred Theology from Bellarmine School of Theology in North Aurora, Illinois (1970), and a Master of Divinity from Loyola University Chicago (1970).

During regency, Fr. Murphy taught Latin at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois (1963-1964). He spent over twenty years at Loyola University Chicago as a professor of Latin and Greek (1970-1993) and freshmen dean (1977-1986). Fr. Murphy spent 4 years in the Jesuit Curia in Rome as the regional secretary for the USA and English-speaking Western Europe (1993-1997). He then returned to Loyola University Chicago where he taught (1997-2002) and was chair of the classics department (1999-2002). Fr. Murphy then became associate pastor of St. Xavier Church in Cincinnati, where he stayed until he moved to Colombiere Center in 2012 to care for his health.