John Felice Biography
(Read the 2008 special edition of Il Bollettino devoted to John Felice.)
John P. Felice, founder and director emeritus of the John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University Chicago, was an educator famed for his remarkable leadership skills, diplomacy, and collaborative spirit, as well as for his warm, charitable, and tireless personality.
Inspired by witnessing war
After serving in the British armed forces during World War II, Felice, a native of Malta, saw the devastation wrought by war as the byproduct of a profound lack of understanding among cultures.
After the war, Felice was received as a member of the Society of Jesus and was ordained to the priesthood in 1957, where he remained active for over 15 years. He then accepted an assistant professorship of theology at Loyola University Chicago in 1959.
Building a better world
While teaching a summer program in 1961, Felice was invited to lunch with Italian President Giovanni Gronchi and American diplomat Clare Boothe Luce. Luce opined that both Italy and America needed a large, permanent study abroad program anchored in Rome. Wanting to seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Felice asked Gronchi if the Italian government could help start such a program.
In January 1962, the Loyola University Rome Center of Liberal Arts began with three faculty members and 92 students. Felice’s connections to people in power were a great asset during those founding years. He arranged outstanding opportunities for students, such as meeting the pope, cocktails with the president of Italy in his palace, and academic convocations with cardinals and ambassadors.
A dedication to teaching
Throughout his tenure, Felice was known for taking students on international excursions to expose them to other religions and cultures as a way of strengthening understanding and empathy between people. As early as 1963, students at the center were embarking on university-sponsored tours of the Middle East.
In 1973, Felice transitioned roles and began serving as the Rome Center’s dean of students. Felice continued as the dean of students and in various capacities until 1992, when, rather than retiring as planned, he was reappointed as the Rome Center’s director. Serving as director for another six years, he finally retired in 1998. During his retirement, he remained an active steward of the center until his passing in 2008.
A legacy of faith and learning
In 2004, Loyola President Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., recognized Felice’s commitment to the center, which Felice had nurtured for so many years, by rechristening it the John Felice Rome Center. In 2006, Loyola presented Felice with the “Heart of Loyola” award to honor his extraordinary generosity and lifelong commitment to Jesuit education.
(Read the 2008 special edition of Il Bollettino devoted to John Felice.)
John P. Felice, founder and director emeritus of the John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University Chicago, was an educator famed for his remarkable leadership skills, diplomacy, and collaborative spirit, as well as for his warm, charitable, and tireless personality.
Inspired by witnessing war
After serving in the British armed forces during World War II, Felice, a native of Malta, saw the devastation wrought by war as the byproduct of a profound lack of understanding among cultures.
After the war, Felice was received as a member of the Society of Jesus and was ordained to the priesthood in 1957, where he remained active for over 15 years. He then accepted an assistant professorship of theology at Loyola University Chicago in 1959.
Building a better world
While teaching a summer program in 1961, Felice was invited to lunch with Italian President Giovanni Gronchi and American diplomat Clare Boothe Luce. Luce opined that both Italy and America needed a large, permanent study abroad program anchored in Rome. Wanting to seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Felice asked Gronchi if the Italian government could help start such a program.
In January 1962, the Loyola University Rome Center of Liberal Arts began with three faculty members and 92 students. Felice’s connections to people in power were a great asset during those founding years. He arranged outstanding opportunities for students, such as meeting the pope, cocktails with the president of Italy in his palace, and academic convocations with cardinals and ambassadors.
A dedication to teaching
Throughout his tenure, Felice was known for taking students on international excursions to expose them to other religions and cultures as a way of strengthening understanding and empathy between people. As early as 1963, students at the center were embarking on university-sponsored tours of the Middle East.
In 1973, Felice transitioned roles and began serving as the Rome Center’s dean of students. Felice continued as the dean of students and in various capacities until 1992, when, rather than retiring as planned, he was reappointed as the Rome Center’s director. Serving as director for another six years, he finally retired in 1998. During his retirement, he remained an active steward of the center until his passing in 2008.
A legacy of faith and learning
In 2004, Loyola President Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., recognized Felice’s commitment to the center, which Felice had nurtured for so many years, by rechristening it the John Felice Rome Center. In 2006, Loyola presented Felice with the “Heart of Loyola” award to honor his extraordinary generosity and lifelong commitment to Jesuit education.