Rev. James F. “Jerry” McAndrews, SJ, was born in Adams, MA, on September 8, 1928, to James and Josephine McAndrews. He attended public schools in Adams and graduated from Adams High School in 1946. He spent another year of study and playing high school sports at Wilbraham Academy. He attended Georgetown University where he graduated with a degree in Economics. He entered the Society of Jesus at the Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues in Wernersville, PA, on August 14, 1951. During his formation, he taught seniors Latin and English at St. Joseph’s Prep for three years. He was then sent to the University of Innsbruck in Austria where Jesuits comprised the theological faculty. There he would begin and complete his studies in theology prior to his ordination to the priesthood in Innsbruck on July 26, 1962.
After completing his Jesuit training at Auriesville, NY in 1964, Fr. McAndrews went to Rome to the Gregorian University to begin his doctoral studies in philosophy, which he completed in 1967. He was then accepted by the Philosophy Dept. at Loyola University in Maryland and in the year following, became superior of the Jesuit community there. From 1973 – 1979, Fr. McAndrews served as Assistant to the Provincial for Higher Education.
In 1979, Fr. McAndrews became president of Loyola Blakefield High School in Baltimore, where he served for 19 years. During those years, Loyola added a middle school, built a new classroom building with a student chapel, increased the number of athletic fields, engaged more alumni involvement, and kept student enrollment steady.
In 1999, Fr. McAndrews was missioned to St. Therese Catholic Church in Mooresville, NC, where he was pastor for six years. Then, from 2006 – 2016, he served on the parish staff at Old St. Joseph’s Church in Philadelphia until an injury to his foot forced his retirement from active ministry. He continued to serve pastorally for two more years at the Jesuit Community of St Isaac Jogues in Wernersville, PA.
In 2018, Fr. McAndrews moved to the Manresa Hall Jesuit health center in Philadelphia, missioned to pray for the Church and the Society of Jesus. He died peacefully on November 23, 2024.
