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Rev. Dominic W. Maruca, SJ, was born on September 15, 1927, in Trenton, NJ. He attended Trenton Central High School and entered the Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues in Wernersville, PA, on September 14, 1945. He received his bachelor’s degree in the classics, his Licentiate in Philosophy, master’s degree, and Licentiate in Sacred Theology, all from Woodstock College in Woodstock, MD. He was ordained on June 22, 1958, at Woodstock College. He then went on to study Ascetical/Mystical Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Fr. Maruca taught Theology at the University of Scranton for a year (1962-63) before becoming socius to the master of novices at the Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues in Wernersville. In a year’s time, he became master of novices where he served for four years. In 1970, he became the regional moderator for fostering the Spiritual Exercises, serving for nine years. During this time, he also ran workshops for the continuing education of priests for the Maryland Province.

In 1979, Fr. Maruca began what would be a nearly two-decade tenure at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He served mainly as a professor in the Spirituality Institute, but also served for five years as rector at the Bellarmino. He was also a consultant for the Congregations for the Causes of the Saints and for the Sacraments and Divine Worship, as well as an apostolic examiner of the Roman clergy. In 1997, he returned to the States, and to St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore as a spiritual director of the Center for Continuing Formation, serving for four years. He then served in campus ministry at Loyola College in Baltimore for 10 years, and as a spiritual director for priests.

Fr. Maruca moved to the Colombiere Jesuit Community in Baltimore in 2011 where he served in pastoral ministry until 2017, when he moved Manresa Hall, the Jesuit health center in Philadelphia, missioned to pray for the Church and the Society of Jesus. Fr. Maruca died on August 27, 2022.