The distinguished Catholic cleric Cardinal Avery R. Dulles recently concluded 52 years of active ministry in the priesthood with his departure from the staff of Fordham University. Cardinal Dulles is the son and grandson of a renowned family who has served their country and two faiths from Watertown to Washington for more than a century.
The 89-year-old Jesuit theologian and scholar stepped aside last month as the Laurence J. McGinley professor of religion and society at Fordham University, which is run by the Society of Jesus. He began his priestly studies with the Jesuits in 1946 and was ordained a priest at Fordham in June 1956. Cardinal Dulles converted to Catholicism from Presbyterianism, the faith of his father, John Foster Dulles, and his grandfather, the Rev. Allen Macy Dulles.
Over the next 50 years, the Catholic prelate was a faculty member at several colleges and universities. A staunch defender of Catholic orthodoxy, he has authored numerous books and received more than 30 honorary doctorates. He occupied the McGinley Chair in Religion and Society since 1988, retiring now due to disabilities associated with polio contracted as a naval officer in World War II.
Angelo Stagnaro, writing in the Catholic News Service, said Cardinal Dulles in the last of 39 lectures "reconfirmed his faith, his orthodoxy, his spirituality and his commitment to the Society of Jesus. He also offered a final word against the materialism, relativism, subjectivism, hedonism, scientism and superficial anti-intellectualism he said is found in modern society."
In 2003, Cardinal Dulles came to Watertown to speak at First Presbyterian Church as part of its 200th anniversary celebration. His grandfather, the Rev. Mr. Dulles, served as pastor from 1887 to 1904.
Cardinal Dulles's father, John Foster Dulles, grew up in Watertown and went on to serve his country. Mr. Dulles negotiated the peace treaty with Japan and served as secretary of state from 1953 to 1959. He was also prominent in the Presbyterian church.
An uncle of Cardinal Dulles, Allen, was director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1953 to 1961. An aunt, Eleanor Lansing Dulles, also had a career in government service and was involved in foreign affairs. Dulles family members still come to Henderson Harbor in the summer.
The family's contributions to their nation and churches through three generations will be felt for many generations to come.
