Cardosi, Robert G. (Brother)

Jesuit Brother Robert G. Cardosi died on March 11, 2015, at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, Michigan. He was 88 years old.

Br. Cardosi was born on Nov. 21, 1926, in Covington, Kentucky. He entered the Society of Jesus on Aug. 20, 1945, at Milford Novitiate in Milford, Ohio. He switched grades from scholastic to brother on March 29, 1948. He took final vows on Feb. 2, 1957, at Milford Novitiate.

Br. Cardosi attended Jesuit High in Tampa, Florida, for one year (1941-1942) before attending and graduating from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati (1942-1945). In the Society, Br. Cardosi studied for three semesters at Xavier University before he switched grades. Br. Cardosi obtained certification in Clinical Pastoral Education (1985-1987). Later he completed the Lay Pastoral Ministry Certificate Program at the Athenaeum in Cincinnati (1988-1989).

Throughout his Jesuit life, Br. Cardosi cared for others by cooking, managing kitchens and being a chaplain. He was an apprentice cook at Milford Novitiate (1945-1951), the refectorian and cook at St. Stanislaus Tertianship in Parma, Ohio (1951-1958), and taught cooking in the Brothers’ Training Program at Milford Novitiate (1958-1960). Br. Cardosi then moved to Chicago where he was the kitchen manager and cook at St. Ignatius College Prep (1960-1975) and kitchen manager at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House (1975-1977). He then was the manager and evening cook in the kitchen of Schott Hall, the Jesuit residence on the campus of Xavier University in Cincinnati (1977-1983).

In January of 1982, Br. Cardosi had a life-threatening illness and was in a coma for 45 days and spent another 45 days recuperating in the hospital. After this illness, Br. Cardosi decided to change his ministry and become a chaplain. He performed hospital chaplaincy in Cincinnati for many years (1986-1998) and spent time as an ombudsman for Pro Seniors, Inc. (1989-1997). After his time as a hospital chaplain, he did outreach to the sick and shut-ins of St. Andrew Parish in Cincinnati (1998-1999). Br. Cardosi continued performing pastoral ministry after moving to Colombiere Center in 1999.