NZ-born Jesuit dies

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by NZ CATHOLIC staff
A New Zealand-born Jesuit priest suffered a stroke while celebrating a Latin Mass in Queensland and died in hospital soon afterwards. Fr Gregory Jordan, SJ, aged 85, had been celebrating Mass at St Ignatius Church in Toowong when he died on July 19.
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Born in Hamilton in 1930, Fr Jordan attended St Patrick’s College, Silverstream, from 1944 to 1947. He was a prefect in his final year.
He entered the Society of Jesus novitiate in Victoria when he was 18.
After Australian appointments, Fr Jordan returned to New Zealand in 1964 as spiritual father to first year seminarians at Holy Name Seminary before travelling to France, where he undertook a tertianship at Paray-le-Monial.
Education and parish appointments in Australia followed.
For the past 16 years, he was the official exorcist to Brisbane archdiocese.
One of Fr Jordan’s appointments was as rector of St Ignatius College, Riverview, in Sydney. Among his former pupils there were Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP.
“Fr Jordan was a great fighter for the Faith, undeflected by ideological fashions of modernity,” Archbishop Fisher
said.
“Thousands of students benefitted from his teaching, counsel and example,” the Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.
Former Nationals senator Ron Boswell described Fr Jordan as “a wonderful person” and a man of strong principles.
Jesuit Father Robin Koning, assistant to the Provincial of the Jesuits in Australia, said he was remembered
as a good community man, “always ready to be involved in community activities… and to engage in conversation
and to share a laugh and a story”.
A requiem Mass was celebrated at Toowong on July 30. He was buried at the Jesuit plot at Nudgee Cemetery.

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  1. Leo says

    Fr Jordan was an outstanding example of a good priest, and intelligent and knowledgeable with it.
    He will now be reaping his reward.

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