Father Sloyan recently celebrated a major anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood for the Diocese of Trenton, N.J. Its paper, The Monitor, reviewed many highlights in his ministry, which focused on higher education, with an impact on the study of Sacred Scripture, liturgy, catechetics and Catholic-Jewish relations. The contribution of Father Sloyan to these interrelated areas was the subject of Sister Alice Swartz’s doctoral dissertation, “Gerard Stephen Sloyan: A Career in Bible and Liturgy and a Ministry to all People of God, 1950-1995” for Drew University, building on her Master’s degree in Jewish-Christian Studies.
The Monitor story by Lynnea Mumola, “A Lifetime of Love of the Gospel,” offers a delightful review of Father Sloyan’s life, but this should be supplemented to include his work for the Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies. He is the only surviving member of the original editorial board that assisted Father John M. Oesterreicher in producing the five volumes of The Bridge from 1955-1970.
In the Spring semester 1983 Father Sloyan was visiting professor in Seton Hall’s Department of Religion; during this time he taught a course on The Acts of the Apostles in the Jewish-Christian Studies Graduate Program. A loyal alumnus of the Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology and a good friend of the Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies, Father Sloyan will celebrate his hundredth birthday on December 13, 2019. We wish him well, ad mea vesrim (to 120)!
God bless him and his many years of ministry!
You are truly an inspiration! May God bless you in all your work and life. May you find happiness in all you do and continue to live many more years!
Thanks for the news about Father Sloyan. It is something to be close to celebrating 100! I remember him well from past CBA meetings. I didn’t realize he had a role in the Inst. of Judaeo-Christian Studies by being on the editorial board of The Bridge. Many of the older members of the CBA are dying or getting too old to come to the meetings. I surely hope the young people will take over and keep the Association going. I’m just back from Walsh U. and the Conference. The Plenary meetings, the big meetings and the Hebrew Poetry Seminar were good. We are now doing 2nd Isaiah. I missed you, but know that your health keeps you back.