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Remembering Jesuit Father Joseph W. Lux

October 21, 2024

Fr. Joseph Lux, SJ, served for decades as an English teacher and chaplain at many Jesuit schools, beloved by his students and colleagues.

Joseph W. Lux, S.J. was born to Helen and Walter Lux in Teaneck, NJ, on November 13, 1940.  Little did they know that it was the feast of the Jesuit novice St. Stanislaus Kostka. In 1954, Joe began high school at Fordham Prep, and when he graduated in 1958, he entered the Jesuit Novitiate at St. Andrew-on-Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY.  After two years as a novice, Joe took his first vows on August 15, 1960, and after two years of Juniorate, moved to Loyola Seminary, Shrub Oak, NY, to study Philosophy for three years (1958-65).

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in English, Joe was ready for three years of Regency.  In 1965, he began a two-year stint teaching English and Latin at Xavier High School in Manhattan, which was followed by a year living at Murray-Weigel Hall in the Bronx (which was then a scholasticate) where he earned an M.A. in English from Fordham University in 1968.  With Regency completed, Joe moved on to study theology at Woodstock College in New York City, and in 1971 he was ordained a priest at the Fordham University Church by then Archbishop of New York, Terrence Cardinal Cooke.

Ordained and ready for a new assignment, Joe was sent back to Xavier High School, where for the next ten years (1971-81) he served as Assistant Principal and taught English.  During this time at Xavier he took his final vows on April 22,1979.  Ready for a change after ten years, Joe happily jumped at the opportunity and headed across the Atlantic to Ireland where he spent a year (1981-82) as Assistant Prefect of the House and teacher of English at the Jesuit Clongowes Wood College just 30 kilometers outside of Dublin in the beautiful countryside of County Kildare.  After this refreshing year, Joe headed back to the beautiful countryside of Manhattan’s West 16th Street for another six years (1982-88) teaching English Literature at Xavier High School.  In 1988, Joe received a new assignment, this time to McQuaid Jesuit in Rochester, NY, where he served as student chaplain and continued his English teaching for five more years (1988-93).

After 25 years of teaching or studying English, Joe was ready for a career change.  So in 1993 this Jersey Boy shuffled off to Buffalo, NY, and, while living at the Canisius Jesuit Community, worked on and earned an M.S. in Library Science.  In 1995, he then exchanged an English classroom for a librarian’s desk, first in his home state of New Jersey as Reference Librarian at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City (1995-2001), then back to Canisius in Buffalo as Reference Librarian and Archivist at the College, Librarian at the High School and House Archivist (2001-06), and finally back to Manhattan as Librarian at Regis High School (2006-2009).

Two more high school assignments were in store for Joe before debilitating breathing issues would force him to stop working. In 2009, he was back at Xavier High School as a tutor and Chaplain to the athletic teams (2009-2011); and then back upstate at Canisius High School where he served in Campus Ministry, was Assistant VP for Mission and Identity, and was Chaplain for the athletic teams (2011-18).

By now Joe was suffering from chronic COPD, and in July of 2018, he moved to the Province Healthcare Facility at Murray-Weigel Hall in the Bronx. When he was able, he really enjoyed spending time with Jesuit friends at the Jesuit Houses at Seabright, NJ, and at Jogues Retreat in Cornwall, NY.

Joe died peacefully on Monday, October 21, 2024.  He worked hard in this life for the Lord, and we trust that an everlasting reward awaits him.  May that same Lord welcome him into the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world.