75 Years a Jesuit

Father James Blumeyer, SJ, spent decades of his Jesuit ministry serving in higher education, province leadership and retreat ministry. This year he celebrates 75 years in the Society of Jesus.

Father Blumeyer began his active ministry in 1954, as the pastoral minister for St. Stephen’s Mission on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. After studying philosophy at Saint Louis University, he taught Latin at Regis Jesuit High School in Denver.

From 1967 to 1980, Fr. Blumeyer was active in campus ministry and administration at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. He served as assistant dean, dean, consultor and vice president during his first assignment there. He later returned to Rockhurst in 1986 as its coordinator of mission and ministry after spending five years as an assistant for formation for the former Missouri Province.

After five more years at Rockhurst, Fr. Blumeyer became assistant to the president for mission and ministry at Saint Louis University in 1993 and was named vice president for university mission and ministry in 1995. During this time, he also served as rector at the Jesuit Hall community from 1992 to 1998.

In 2001, Fr. Blumeyer transitioned to retreat and spirituality ministry. He served as director of the Ignatian Spirituality Center in Kansas City from 2001 to 2006, and as assistant director from 2006 to 2015. From 2015 to 2025, he was a retreat and spiritual director at White House Jesuit Retreat in St. Louis.

Since spring 2025, Fr. Blumeyer has been assigned to a ministry of prayer for the Church and the Society of Jesus at St. Ignatius Hall, the community of senior Jesuits in Florissant, Missouri.

Father Blumeyer earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and classics, a master’s in education, a bachelor’s in sacred theology and a doctorate in education – all from Saint Louis University.