IN MEMORIAM: John P. Felice
John P. Felice | 1923–2008
Founding Father of Loyola's Rome Center
Look for more on the celebrated life of John Felice in the summer issue of Loyola magazine.
John P. Felice, founder and director emeritus of the John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University Chicago, and a retired professor of theology, passed away at his home in Glenview, Illinois, on January 31, 2008. He was 84. Felice was an educator famed for his remarkable leadership skills and for his warm, charitable, and untiring spirit. He was beloved by the Loyola and Rome Center communities, and by the many other people whose lives he touched. "To me, John was a wonderful example of Ignatian availability and dedication, putting his daily life to work for the greater glory of God and for others around him," says Loyola President Michael J. Garanzini, S.J. "His generosity of spirit was extraordinary. He was truly a person for others." Born in 1923 in what was then British Malta, now the Republic of Malta, Felice served as a British intelligence liaison officer during World War II and, after the war, was received as a member of the Society of Jesus and ordained to the priesthood in 1957. He remained active in priestly ministry for over 15 years, and counted among his friends many Church leaders, including Pope John XXIII.
Felice was appointed assistant professor of theology at Loyola University Chicago in 1959. During a trip to Rome in 1961, the idea of opening a permanent American study-abroad program anchored in Rome was born. After 45 years and three campus moves, the John Felice Rome Center, as it is now known, has more than 14,000 alumni who live throughout the country and the world.
A man famous for his accomplishments and generosity of spirit, Felice received numerous national and international awards. In 2004, Father Garanzini recognized Felice's commitment to the center that he had nurtured for so many years by rechristening it the John Felice Rome Center. In 2006, Loyola awarded Felice the "Heart of Loyola" to honor his extraordinary generosity and lifelong commitment to Jesuit education.
"John Felice was totally committed to Loyola University Chicago and to the Jesuit ideals of educating the whole person—mind, body, and spirit," says Father Garanzini. "For over 40 years, John's passion for the Rome Center program, and especially its students, was truly remarkable."
Felice is survived by his beloved wife of 33 years, Mary "Kate" Felice; his brother, Joseph; six nieces and nephews; a flourishing educational center in the hills of Rome; and the thousands of individuals all over the world whose lives he indelibly changed.
Donations in John's memory may be made to:
John Felice Rome Center New Campus Fund, or John P. & Mary K. Felice Scholarship EndowmentSEND to:
Loyola University Chicago—Gift Processing Attn: JFRC Campus Fund or Felice Scholarship Department 4336 Carol Stream, IL 60122-4336
Alternatively, donations may be sent to the Jesuit Mission, Red Cloud Indian School, 100 Mission Drive, Pine Ridge, SD 57770-2100