Rev. John Joseph McArdle S.J.

Father Joseph McArdle died peacefully on November 11th, 2014, at Rene Goupil House, Pickering, Ontario. He was in his 88th year and in religious life for 67 years. Joe was born in Regina, Saskatchewan on October 13th, 1926, the son of James McArdle and Muriel Shee. The family moved to Montreal and Joe did all his early education there, including at Loyola High School. He entered the Society at Guelph on September 7th, 1947. After three years of humanities study, Joe began a three year philosophy program at the Jesuit Seminary in Toronto. He was assigned to teach history and mathematics at Garnier Residential School, Spanish, Ontario. Three years later he returned to Toronto for the study of theology. Joe was ordained on June 18th 1961 in the chapel of the St. Joseph’s Motherhouse, Morrow Park, Willowdale. Tertianship followed at Port Townsend in Washington State, USA.

Fr. McArdle began his full-time ministry in 1963 at Campion High School, Regina as assistant to the principal. But in 1969 he gave up teaching and was appointed Minister at Ignatius College, Guelph. He was interested in directing retreats and so in 1971 he began his life-long apostolate of the Spiritual Exercises at Loyola Retreat House, Guelph. He continued this retreat ministry in British Columbia, (Vancouver) and Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton) from 1978 to 1987. Then Joe moved into St. Augustine’s Seminary in Scarborough, Ontario, to become spiritual director to the seminarians. Five years later he returned to British Columbia (Victoria and Nanaimo) serving in various parishes as pastor and still conducting retreats. In 2005, Fr. McArdle left the west coast for Manresa Retreat House in Pickering continuing his pastoral and spiritual ministry. He was well suited for Manresa and had the vigour and zeal to promote the Spiritual Exercises in every situation of human life.

Of an outgoing personality and good speaker, Joe exhibited the best of Irish charm and wit.

He was sought out for spiritual direction and retreats and his priestly reputation was solidly established in both western and central Canada. Joe had a knack of pastoral sensitivity which was comforting to people who needed confirmation that they were on the right path, during a time of increasing secularism in public life. Many were the seminarians who regarded Joe as their mentor and priestly inspiration.

Joe moved to the infirmary in 2011 when persistent health problems dramatically slowed him down. His last couple of years were marked by periods of change in his personality which made communication more difficult. But in any encounter in his last year you did not need to hear words, but only to be with him and to sense a priestly life well lived.

Friends are invited to visit on Monday, November 17 from 7 – 9 p.m. at the St. Ignatius Chapel, Manresa Spiritual Renewal Centre, Liverpool Rd. North, Pickering, ON. Prayer service to be held at 8 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 o’clock on Tuesday, November 18 at the St. Ignatius Chapel, Manresa Spiritual Renewal Centre, Liverpool Rd. North, Pickering, ON. Interment to follow at 2:30 p.m. in the Jesuit Cemetery, 5420 Hwy 6, Guelph, ON.

In memory of Father McArdle, donations may be made to the Jesuit Development Office, 43 Queen's Park Crescent East, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C3.