Brother Edward P. Sheehy, SJ, was born in Jersey City, NJ, on the 7th of June in 1933, the son of Edward and Eva (Bihuniak) Sheehy. His earliest connection to the Society of Jesus was at his baptism in St. Peter’s Church, the Jesuit parish in downtown Jersey City, where as a youngster he became very engaged in the parish youth programs. Ed graduated from Ferris High School in Jersey City in 1951 and soon after became a brother postulant at St. Andrew-on-Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY. At St. Andrew’s, he was a novice brother from January of 1952 to January of 1954.
After spending another year as a vowed brother at Poughkeepsie, Ed was assigned in 1955 to Loyola Seminary at Shrub Oak, NY. There, among other jobs, Ed worked primarily in the kitchen and specifically as a baker. To this day, Jesuits who were there in those days sing the praises of Ed who, as an expert pastry chef, provided the community with the finest of pastries, pies and cakes and all manner of desserts.
Much to the disappointment of the Jesuits who continued to dine at Shrub Oak, Ed was transferred in 1963 to St. Ignatius Parish and community in Manhattan, where he would live and work for the next 33 years. During those years, in addition to contributing to the care of the house and community in so many ways, Ed, at one time or another, taught at St. Ignatius Parish School, was director of the parish CYO, was moderator of the St. John Berchmans Society, and was assistant moderator of Athletics at Loyola School. Above and beyond what he did, Ed endeared himself to multitudes of students and parishioners who remained his dear friends for years afterward, many of whom came to celebrate Ed’s 90th birthday at Murray-Weigel Hall in June of 2023.
While Ed was at St. Ignatius, he discovered his second (if not his third or fourth) career. In 1991 and for the next 27 years, Ed was missioned by the Society to “Puppet Ministry.” During these years, he lived in several different Jesuit Communities: after his last five years at St. Ignatius in Manhattan (1991-96), he spent three years (1996-99) at St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, NY, fifteen years (1999-2014) at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, three years (2014-17) at the 14th Street Jesuit Community on 14th Street in Manhattan and a year (2017-18) at the Carroll Street community in Brooklyn. And while Ed contributed in many ways to the lives of the Jesuits in these communities, his primary apostolate was his puppet ministry. Ed was remarkably creative in conceiving, fashioning and crafting puppets and marionettes, as well as inventing his own puppet shows. He became a renowned puppeteer, and his shows, many with religious and spiritual themes, were in great demand. He even took them abroad to both Nigeria and Micronesia.
By 2018, age was beginning to catch up with Ed, and he moved to the Jesuit health center at Murray-Weigel Hall in the Bronx. There he took up a new hobby, sculpting in clay. Artist he was till the very end. He could happily sing for you, and with you, many of the old-time songs which he knew by heart. The Jesuits at Murray-Weigel Hall remember well hearing Ed pray aloud at Mass each day for “family and friends, and for the Pope.”
In recent weeks Ed’s voice was not heard at Mass as his health deteriorated and he grew frailer day by day. As one of his brothers announced to the Community, Ed “graduated to eternal life” during the early morning hours of November 24. It was the great Feast of Christ the King. May that same Lord and King, whom Ed served so well for more than ninety-one years, welcome him to the great feast of eternal life in heaven.
