Fr. Raymond M. Sweitzer, SJ, entered eternal life on August 16, 2025, at the age of 78. A faithful Jesuit priest, teacher, and spiritual director, he devoted more than six decades of his life to the Society of Jesus, to the classroom, and to the care of souls.
Raymond was born on May 5, 1947, in Jamaica, NY. He attended Regis High School in New York City, and after graduation entered the Society of Jesus at St. Andrew-on-Hudson in Poughkeepsie, NY. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 14, 1975, at Fordham University Chapel in the Bronx.
His studies as a Jesuit reflected both breadth and depth. After his novitiate and juniorate at St. Andrew-on-Hudson, he studied philosophy at Loyola Seminary (Fordham University) in Shrub Oak, NY, and at Weston College School of Theology in Cambridge, MA, where he completed his B.A. in history and philosophy. Further studies took him to Woodstock College, New York, where he earned a Master of Divinity in theology and to Middlebury College in Vermont for a Masters in German.
Fr. Sweitzer’s ministry was marked above all by his love of teaching and formation. After early years teaching history and German at Regis High School as a scholastic (1970–1972), he returned following his own studies and ordination to teach German and French (1976–1984). He then served at Canisius High School in Buffalo, first as assistant principal (1985–1986) and then as principal (1986–1989), all while teaching modern language. From 1989 to 1991, he taught modern and classical languages at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City.
In 1991, Fr. Sweitzer began what would be a 30-year tenure in the Bronx, serving first for nine years at Ciszek Hall, where he ministered as treasurer and spiritual director, as well as teaching at Fordham Prep. In 2000, he was named superior of the Kohlmann Hall Jesuit Community in the Bronx and continued teaching modern and classical languages at Fordham Prep until 2006. From 2006 to 2021, he remained a beloved teacher of Latin and German at Fordham Prep, while also serving as Assistant Director of Christian Life Communities. He returned to Kohlmann Hall briefly as interim superior from 2010 to 2012.
In 2021, Fr. Sweitzer moved to Buffalo, where he served as associate pastor at St. Michael Church for three years. His final years were spent at the Jogues Jesuit Community in Cornwall, NY, where he dedicated himself to a ministry of prayer for the Church and the Society of Jesus.
Fr. Sweitzer’s life was characterized by a deep commitment to Jesuit education, a gift for languages, and a pastoral heart that welcomed all. Whether in the classroom, a parish, or his Jesuit community, he shared his faith with a quiet, humble, steady presence, and a generous spirit.
He now rests in Christ, whom he served faithfully as a Jesuit for 62 years.
Click here to light a Virtual Candle in memoriam of the life and legacy of Fr. Raymond M. Sweitzer, SJ.
