J. Allan Panuska, S.J.
(Both served as rectors of Jesuit Community in Wernersville)
Joseph A. Currie, S.J.
Rev. J.
Allan Panuska, S.J. Rev. Joseph A. Currie, S.J.
These two Jesuits shared the initials J.A., the one J. Allan,
simply Al, the other Joseph A., simply Joe.
Born less than ten years apart, ordained eight years apart, Al before
the Second Vatican Council and Joe in 1968 just a few years after the Council
closed. They died within days of one another, Al on
Feb 28 and Joe on Mar 3.
As young priests, Al did serious research as a biologist and
Joe was a missionary to India, each one following traditions of Jesuit
excellence. Only our best young Jesuits
went off to India. And Al joined one of
the best Jesuit science departments at Georgetown University. Later leadership in the Society and in
education awaited Al. I remember him as a
young and generous Provincial, ’76 to ’82, supporting Province efforts to
minister within the black community.
And we remember Joe for the work he did in formation and
retreat programs for young Asian Indian Catholics. His brother Rob spoke at his funeral of his
tireless efforts crisscrossing India to interact with youth and young Jesuits. Rob said he knew every rail and bus station. After 22 years in India, 15 of them as a
priest, Joe returned to the United States to continue his chaplaincy work at
various colleges, notably thirteen years at Fordham University as associate
vice president for mission and ministry.
Al, after his service as Provincial devoted many years to college
leadership, sixteen as president of Scranton University. There he made himself so present to the
students that they named him “Papa Bear”.
(A Fordham print article about Joe used a similar expression: “Papa Joe”.)
Scranton University grew in both size and academic reputation over these
years. Al is known as a second founder.
These were men of uncommon devotion to youth and young
adults. While the Church into which they
were born changed radically, they read the signs of the times and continued steadily
to attract the young to Christian life and service, over a hundred years of
ministry between them.
Both had important roles to play at the Jesuit Center in
Wernersville, Al as rector from 1998 until 2004 and Joe as rector from 2010
until 2015. In every age, God has been
our refuge and sends us men and women of outstanding character and
commitment. These two were models for
our age and God will inspire those who follow them to build on their heritage.
These two fortunately in a favorable climate: I reach back to my own
childhood amazement at some of the simple things of nature; the blue eggs in a
nest that I saw in the midst of some tree branches
and the first fish one summer morning that I caught on my own. It was a simple sunfish younger and more
innocent than I at age nine. (Photo provides an example!) My
family was visiting my aunt at a small cottage with a dock on Trout Lake in the
nearby Poconos. I carried the small fish
right into the kitchen and insisted that I should eat it. Perhaps I thought the fish ought to have
the dignity of giving its life for some purpose. My mother humored me, helped me dress the
little creature, got out some butter and a frying pan and I had an early
lunch. I grew up in a land of plenty.
