Tuesday, July 3, 2012

There Is No School Like The Old School

Father O'Malley
Fr. William O'Malley, S.J.
Heads were spinning at Fordham Prep after a gruff but beloved teacher — known to horror fans for his role in the film “The Exorcist” — was cast out. Administrators exorcised themselves of Father William O’Malley, a theology teacher at the Jesuit high school for the past 20 years, because they felt his old-school style was out of date. “Father O’Malley’s style was probably more abrasive than we are used to and something we discussed with the principal over the years,” Father Kenneth Boller, president of Fordham Prep, told The Post. “He has a somewhat confrontational style, and the times change and the [teaching] styles change,” he said. “His effectiveness, in view of the principal, has diminished. We thought it was time for him to end his career on an up note after completing a successful year.” O’Malley, 80, played Father Joe Dyer in the 1973 demonic-possession horror flick. As an author, Father O'Malley has published 37 books, Choosing to Be Catholic, Why Be Catholic?, God: The Oldest Question, Meeting the Living God, Building Your Own Conscience, and The Fifth Week are among them. His book, Help My Unbelief, won a Catholic Book Award in 2009
Link (here) to the NY Post

7 comments:

Maria said...

With 107 people on faculty at Fordham Prep, there are now, excluding O'Malley, a grand total of 8 Jesuits. There are close to 1000 students. One would think they could ill afford to lose a Jesuit, given that the laity seem to be running their "Jesuit" school.

Remember when Jesuits were real men? *Sigh* Fr. Dugan who used to keep my brothers in line by shoving them up against blackboards (as needed)would, no doubt, now be summoned to some sort of anti-bullying penance, castigated and exiled. Real men reproduce real men. We have seen what happens when real men aren't in charge.

God Bless you, Fr. O'Malley. I still remember your wonderful performance in the Exorcist. We thank God every day there were, and still are, a few real men left in the Society.

Oh. My brothers? Real men. Happliy married with children and living their faith.

Anonymous said...

Are there any 'faithful' Jesuit Universities in the US today? The reason I ask is because I really appreciate the Jesuit order. It appears to me that every SJ school has been undermined by the unfaithful.

Joseph Fromm said...

Spring Hill College

Anonymous said...

Creighton University. The greatest enterprise in the world today!

Anonymous said...

My concern is why Father Kenneth Boller found it appropriate to speak of his brother Jesuit that way to the public. Where is his sense of prudence?

Anonymous said...

"Nothing makes religious more contemptible in the world’s eyes than to see them divided into parties and sects among themselves."
-Saint Ignatius

Flit said...

Fr. O'Malley drew big crowds when he preached in Martha's Vineyard-Old and young came to daily mass to to listen tohis homilies----He had a vision for the church he loved--A church that included women--One has to wonder if this is what caused his removal--would love to have his e-mail address--and do hope he returns to The Vineyard