Fr. Greg Jones, CSV, grew up in different countries around the world, literally, and as an adult he figured he would pursue a life in missionary work. However, once he met some Viatorians while attending Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, he foresaw a different life, as a Viatorian.
Fr. Greg Jones
Fr. Greg passed away Nov. 22 at TMC Hospice Peppi’s House in Tucson, AZ, at the age of 73. He had been living in Tucson since 2019, where in his semi-retirement he served as chaplain for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and assisted at Saint Joseph Catholic Church.
Fr. Greg met the Viatorians when he was in his mid-30’s, while pursuing a Master’s of Divinity degreet at CTU. In a recent podcast episode, when he reflected on his discernment, he cited the influence of some of his Viatorian mentors, including Fr. John Linnan, CSV, who was president of CTU at the time.
“Fr. Linnan was a theologian,” Fr. Greg said, “but he had the ability to make God pure and simple.”
Another was Fr. Thomas Langenfeld, CSV, who served as the Director of the Viatorian Formation program when Fr. Greg joined the community as a novice. In remembering Fr. Langenfeld he described him as “kind and good, gentle and smart,” qualities that Fr. Greg would emulate him in his own ministry.
Fr. Greg began his years as a Viatorian teaching at Saint Viator High School, from 1990 to 1995. His first pastoral assignment was at St. Viator Parish in Chicago, where he served as parochial vicar. One year after arriving, he was ordained there by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin on April 13, 1996. His ordination was one of the last for Cardinal Bernardin. He died of pancreatic cancer a little more than six months later.
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin ordained Fr. Greg Jones on April 13, 1996, shown here with Fr. Robert M. Egan, then Provincial.
Fr. Greg served as chaplain at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale before returning to sacramental ministry as Parochial Vicar at Guardian Angel Cathedral in Las Vegas and then serving as Director of Campus Ministry at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus.
The bulk of Fr. Greg’s ministry was spent as a mission preacher for the Food for the Poor mission relief organization, based in Coconut Creek, Florida and later as Mission Appeals Director for the Clerics of St. Viator. He retired to the Viatorian Province Center in 2017 and ultimately settled in Tucson.
In that same podcast episode, Fr. Greg described what drove him to religious life: “I wanted to be a man for others; to love God and share that love with others.”