Father Theodore Foley, C.P.

A Philosopher Who Led by the Cross

Daniel Bible Foley was born on March 3, 1913, in Hartford, Connecticut. As a young man, he entered the Passionist novitiate and took the religious name Theodore. After completing studies in philosophy and theology, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1937.

Father Theodore spent years teaching philosophy and theology at the Passionist Seminary in Union City, New Jersey. His intellectual gifts and quiet leadership drew the respect of his confreres. He rose through the ranks of the Passionist Congregation in the United States, and in 1964, at the height of the Second Vatican Council, he was elected Superior General of the worldwide Congregation of the Passion.

As Superior General, Father Foley faced the enormous task of guiding the renewal of the entire Passionist order in the wake of Vatican II. He led with a combination of fidelity to the Passionist charism and openness to the Spirit. He was reelected in 1970 for a second term, governing Passionist communities on every continent.

Father Theodore Foley died in office on October 9, 1974, having served as Superior General for a decade. His cause for beatification was opened in Rome on May 9, 2008, by Pope Benedict XVI. Those who knew him testified to a man of deep prayer, intellectual humility, and total devotion to the Passion of Christ.

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