Fr. Joseph J. Godfrey, SJ, was called to eternal life on March 14, 2026, at the St. Claude La Colombière Jesuit Community in Baltimore. He was 87 years old, a Jesuit for 69 years, and a priest for 56 years.
Fr. Godfrey was born on July 27, 1938, in Buffalo, New York. He attended Canisius High School before entering the Society of Jesus at St. Andrew-on-Hudson in Poughkeepsie, New York, on August 14, 1956. He pronounced his first vows there on August 15, 1958.
He pursued his studies in the liberal arts and philosophy at St. Andrew-on-Hudson and Loyola Seminary, Shrub Oak, earning a B.A. in Classics, an M.A. in Philosophy, and a Licentiate in Philosophy (Ph.L.) from Fordham University. After teaching philosophy at Canisius College in Buffalo from 1963 to 1966, he undertook theological studies at Woodstock College in Maryland, where he earned a Master of Divinity in 1969 and was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1969, at Canisius College. He later completed an S.T.M. at Union Theological Seminary in New York (1970) and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Toronto in 1977.
Fr. Godfrey devoted the greater part of his priestly life to the teaching of philosophy, specializing in the philosophy of religion. He began his long association with Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in 1976, where he served for decades as a professor of philosophy. Over the years, he was also a visiting professor at Santa Clara University and Loyola University Chicago, and held the Wade Chair Scholar position at Marquette University. From 1997 to 2003, he served as rector of the Jesuit community at Saint Joseph’s University, guiding and supporting his fellow Jesuits while continuing his academic work. He was a respected scholar and teacher, known for his intellectual depth, clarity of thought, and commitment to the Jesuit tradition of rigorous philosophical inquiry. While at SJU, he was named the inaugural holder of the Reverend Joseph S. Hogan, SJ, Endowed Chair in Philosophy.
After many years of dedicated service, Fr. Godfrey was named professor emeritus of philosophy in 2018. In his later years, he was missioned to a ministry of prayer for the Church and the Society of Jesus. He resided at the Loyola Center Jesuit Community and later at Manresa Hall in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, before moving to St. Claude La Colombière Jesuit Community in Baltimore in December 2025.
Fr. Godfrey will be remembered as a devoted Jesuit, a distinguished philosopher, and a dedicated educator who formed generations of students in the life of the mind and spirit. His quiet fidelity, intellectual rigor, and generous service marked a life given fully to God and the Society.
May he rest in the peace of Christ, whom he served with wisdom, dedication, and love.
Click here to light a Virtual Candle in memoriam of the life and legacy of Fr. Joe Godfrey, SJ.
