August 10, 2016
This is to inform you that FR. JESUS A. DIAZ, S. J. died last night, August 9, in the Makati Medical Center, Makati City. Fr. Diaz, 92, entered the Society on 30 May 1941 and was ordained to the presbyterate on 19 June 1954.
Wake: The wake begins this afternoon in the Oratory of St. Ignatius, Loyola House of Studies, Loyola Heights, Q.C. Daily wake Masses at 8 p.m.
Funeral Mass: On Saturday, 13 August at 8:30 a.m. in the Oratory of St. Ignatius, LHS.
Interment: Sacred Heart Novitiate Jesuit Cemetery, right after the Funeral Mass.
Requiescat in pace.
BIOGRAPHY OF FR. JESUS A. DIAZ, SJ
By Sch. Amado T. Tumbali, S.J., Asst. Province Archivist
Fr. Jesus Abella Diaz, S.J. was born on 13 December 1923 in Naga, Camarines Sur. He finished his primary studies at Ateneo de Manila Grade School in 1937 and secondary at Ateneo de Manila High School in 1941. He entered the Jesuits in Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches on 30 May 1941 with Catalino Arevalo, Amancio Borja, Lucio Codilla, Roque Ferriols, Santiago Gaa, Expedito Jimenez, Rodolfo Malasmas, Agustin Natividad, Gaudus Perfecto, Rustico Tagarda, and Antonio Ulgado. Later that year, Raymundo Echaus, Rafael Santos, Teodoro Arvisu, Federico Escaler, John Montenegro, and Vicente San Juan joined the batch. Due to the complications of World War II, they spent their Juniorate in various places: from 1 June to 2 July 1943 at Ateneo de Manila in Padre Faura St., Ermita; then, La Ignaciana, Sta. Ana until 1945; back to Novaliches in 1945-1946.
Fr. Jess studied Philosophy, first at La Ignaciana, 1945-1946, then at Novaliches, 1946-1948. In 1948-1951, he was missioned to Ateneo de Naga as regent where he taught Latin, English and Religion. He was also assigned as librarian. Afterwards, he studied Theology at St. Mary’s College, Kansas City in 1951-1952 and at Woodstock College, Maryland in 1952-1955. He was ordained priest by Francis Cardinal Spellman on 19 June 1954 at Fordham University Chapel. He did tertianship at Our Lady of Martyrs, Auriesville, New York on 15 August 1955-14 June 1956. He professed final vows on 15 August 1957 at Ateneo de San Pablo and on 2 February 1978 at Xavier House, Sta. Ana.
His first assignment as a priest was at Ateneo de San Pablo in 1956-1958. There, he was minister, house historian, house consultor, teacher of English Grammar in High School and Catechism for 4th year, and confessor of students. He was also prefect of students and house prefect of health and historian. In 1958-1964, he was in the Generalate in Rome as Sub-Secretary of East Asian Assistancy; the first Filipino to be assigned in the Curia. In 1964-1969, he was Rector of San Jose Seminary, first in Highway 54, then at Loyola Heights campus. Simultaneously, he became the founding Rector of Loyola House of Studies in 1965. His longest assignment was in Xavier House as Province Treasurer for 26 years (1972-1998). After his stint at the treasury, he was assigned to pastoral ministries: 1999-2002, chaplain at Angono Retreat House and 2002-2012 at Mary the Queen Parish. He retired at Lucas Infirmary, Loyola House of Studies in 2012.
At 11:30 P.M of 9 August 2016, Fr. Jess passed on due to cardiac arrest secondary to renal failure on peritoneal dialysis at Makati Medical Center.