December 19, 2024 – Father Curtis E. Van Del, SJ, died Dec. 15, 2024, in Florissant, Missouri. He was 91 years old, a Jesuit for 72 years and a priest for 59 years.
He will be remembered at a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in the chapel of St. Ignatius Hall, the Jesuit community at Garden Villas North, 4503 Parker Road, Florissant. A visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the same location. Burial will be in the Jesuit plot at Calvary Cemetery, immediately following the funeral Mass.
The funeral Mass will be livestreamed at: https://bit.ly/Van-Del-Funeral.
Curtis Van Del was born Dec. 31, 1932, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Dwight T. and Gretchen Burger Van Del McLean. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Sally (Raymond J.) Steele. He is survived by several nieces and a nephew and his brothers in the Society of Jesus. After graduating from Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, and attending Rockhurst College for one year, he entered the Society of Jesus at St. Stanislaus Seminary in Florissant, Missouri, on Aug. 17, 1952. He pronounced first vows on Aug. 22, 1954, and was ordained a priest on June 9, 1965, at St. Mary’s College in St. Marys, Kansas. He pronounced final vows in St. Louis on Sept. 9, 1978.
As a young priest, Fr. Van Del was missioned in 1967 to the newly opened De Smet Jesuit High School to teach religion and counsel students. He remained until 1983. For much of this time, he was also the chairman of the religion department. After a sabbatical at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, 1983-84, he returned to teaching high school religion at his alma mater, Rockhurst High School, 1984-95.
Following another brief sabbatical and some time in pastoral ministry, in the summer of 1997, he took a position as chaplain to the St. Joseph Sisters at their Nazareth Motherhouse in Concordia, Kansas. He liked the work and remained there until 2006, providing ministerial and sacramental care to the sisters.
In 2006, Fr. Van Del moved to the Xavier Jesuit Center in Denver, where he did pastoral ministry until 2011.
Father Van Del was a conscientious and meticulous religious. He took seriously Ignatius’ mandate to “save souls,” and he taught and preached with quiet passion. For his Jesuit brothers, it is consoling to imagine his newfound freedom, safe in the arms of the Lord he served so well.
He studied philosophy at Fusz Memorial and earned a Bachelor of Arts in humanities from Saint Louis University in 1958. He studied theology at St. Mary’s College and was awarded an S.T.B. from Saint Louis University and Master’s in Liturgy from the University of Notre Dame, both in 1967.
We remember with gratitude all that God has done through his life of service to God and God’s people.
Memorial gifts may be made to the USA Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus at 4511 West Pine Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108 or through this website.
