RIP: Professor Ralph McInerny (1929-2010)

I met him once (at the Catholic Writers Conference held at FUS - Steubenville in September 2002), but will never forget him. 

Via CNS:

The well-loved Notre Dame professor and scholar Ralph McInerny passed away Friday morning at 7:45 a.m... First Things editor Joseph Bottum reported McInerny's death in an article on the magazine's website on Friday afternoon.

In his article, Bottum reprinted a letter sent to him on Friday by Associate Professor Christopher Kaczor at Loyola Marymount who was one of McInerny's students. Prof. Kaczor describes the late academic's life accomplishments as well as his personal relationship with him.

Ralph McInerny had retired from the philosophy department at the University of Notre Dame as the Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies after serving in that position since 1955, said Prof. Kaczor.

“He wrote wrote more than 40 books in philosophy and other disciplines (including poetry), authored thousands of scholarly and general audience articles, edited three national magazines, authored more than 80 mystery novels (including the Father Dowling Mysteries), and I’m confident directed more dissertations than anyone in the history of Notre Dame,” wrote Prof. Kaczor.

The Fr. Dowling books eventually became a successful TV series.

McInerny was also credited with co-founding Crisis Magazine in 1982. The monthly lay publication was recognized for its orthodoxy in Catholic opinion. Read more here.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.


More Tributes:

Jay Anderson at Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia* Pro Civitate

Francis Beckwith at Southern Appeal

Kathryn Lopez at The Corner

Thomas S. Hibbs at On the Square

Related Posts:

Culture of Life Quote of the Day: Ralph McInerny

I ALONE HAVE ESCAPED TO TELL YOU
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Comments

  1. Anonymous1/30/10, 2:43 PM

    I went to his talk there at FUS, I was impressed.

    ReplyDelete

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