Jesuit Father Anthony Berret, distinguished English professor, dies at 86

A funeral Mass will be offered Feb. 24 for Jesuit Father Anthony J. Berret at 10:30 a.m. at St. Matthias Church in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. Father Berret, a former professor at what is now Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, died Feb. 17 at the St. Claude La Colombiere Jesuit Community in Baltimore. He was 86, a Jesuit for 67 years, and a priest for 54 years.

He was ordained in 1971 at what was then Loyola College and taught English literature and theology there for several years before a long career at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He also taught English and Latin at Loyola Blakefield in Towson (1965-68).

Father Berret was born Jan. 13, 1940, in Philadelphia. He attended St. Joseph’s Preparatory School before entering the Society of Jesus at the Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues in Wernersville, Pa., Sept. 7, 1958. He completed philosophy studies at Loyola Seminary in Shrub Oak, earning a Ph.L. in 1965, while also receiving a bachelor’s degree in English (1964) and a master’s degree in English (1967) from Fordham University. He studied theology at Woodstock College in New York and was ordained to the priesthood June 5, 1971, at Loyola. He later earned a doctorate in humanities from The Johns Hopkins University in 1981.

Father Berret devoted most of his priestly life to teaching and scholarship in the humanities and literature. After his three years at Loyola Blakefield, he taught theology at Fordham University (1970-71). Following ordination, he served as professor of English literature and theology at Loyola College (1971-74). He then taught English literature at St. Peter’s University (1977-82) before beginning a long tenure at St. Joseph’s University, where he served as professor of English from 1982 until 2013 and then as professor emeritus.

In his later years, Father Berret served in prayer ministry for the Church and the Society of Jesus in Philadelphia and Baltimore.

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