Rev Kevin Penry SJ
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Kevin
Middle Names:
Aloysius
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Penry
Order:
SJ
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Melbourne VIC
Country of Birth:
Australia
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne VIC
Country of Ordination:
Australia
Ordination Diocese:
Seminary:
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Melbourne VIC
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Melbourne VIC
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Biographical Notes
Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017, post-publication supplement:
Penry, Kevin
Teacher, spirituality ministry, chaplain; born 23 March 1933, Melbourne, Victoria; died Melbourne, 24 July 2017, aged 84.
Kevin Aloysius Penry was educated by the Christian Brother at the Parade, East Melbourne and entered the Jesuits at Loyola College, Watsonia, 24 February 1950. Philosophy studies followed, 1953-55, and university studies, 1952, living at Loyola, and 1959-60, gaining an Arts' degree, while living at Campion College, Kew. Regency was at St Ignatius' College, Riverview, 1956-58, teaching middle school religion and history. He was also involved with boarders.
Theology followed at Canisius College, 1961-64, and was ordained by Archbishop Justin Simonds at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne. Tertianship followed at St Joseph Hall, Illinois, USA, with director, Father James Colleran. Final vows as a spiritual coadjutor were taken, 15 August 1970.
After tertianship, Penry studied catechetics in London for a year before appointment to St Aloysius' College, Milsons Point, for the year 1968, where he was prefect of discipline and taught senior religion and junior history and English.
From 1969-72 Penry taught senior religion, English and history, and was the College chaplain at St Ignatius' College, Athelstone, SA. Spiritual ministry at Campion College, Kew, followed, 1973-81.
After a sabbatical in Chicago, USA, following a spiritual leadership course during 1981-82, he returned to Australia and the Richmond parish, 1982-85, where he engaged in parish ministry and chaplaincy to the local Epworth hospital. Membership of the Campion spirituality team followed, 1986-88, and he then promoted Ignatian spirituality among teachers and parents at St Ignatius' College, Athelstone, 1989-93, as well as spiritual formation at The Pacific Regional Seminary, Suva, 1992-93. Chaplaincy at the House for the Homeless, Greenvale, followed, 1994-1998, then ministry to senior Jesuits and the sick and aged in nursing care, from Campion College, Kew, 1999-2009.
After a car accident in 2009, Penry went from a very active life to one of increasing frailty and then total loss of independence. However, for the years 2010-2012 he was chaplain at Caritas Christi Hospice, but finally retired to Mary MacKillop Residence, Hawthorn East in 2013, where he prayed for the Society in his final years. Here, he arrived at a serene acceptance of his condition. Penry was a man of deep, simple faith, while his friendship with Jesus underpinned his relationships.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)