Message from the President
Dear LMU Community:
I am saddened to share that retired Associate Professor Patrick Connolly, S.J., passed away on Dec. 17, 2024, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California. He was 89 years old.
Father Connolly joined the LMU faculty in 1975 and devoted his career to teaching film studies. He joined the faculty of the LMU School of Film and Television when it was established in 2001 before retiring in June 2012. Among his contributions, Father Connolly taught “Intro to Mass Media,” a required course for first-year students. He made several documentary films and was a holder of the Cosgrove Chair in Communication Arts.
Beyond his academic pursuits, Father Connolly briefly served as associate pastor at American Martyrs Parish in Manhattan Beach, California.
Father Connolly entered the Society of Jesus in 1953 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was ordained in 1966 at St. Joseph College in Milltown Park, Ireland, and pronounced his final vows in 1976 at LMU.
Father Connolly earned his Ph.D. at USC in 1973, his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from St. Joseph’s College Lucan, and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees at St. Louis University.
Please keep Father Connolly, his family, friends, colleagues, and fellow Jesuits in your thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D.
President
