Rev. Anthony Putnam Roberts, S.J.

October 8, 1927 - October 27, 2016

Rev. Anthony Putnam Roberts, S.J., was born in New York City on October 8, 1927, the son of Clarence William Roberts and Ruth Dowd. He was baptized a Catholic on October 16th at St. Patrick's Cathedral and attended St. Ann's Academy and Fordham Preparatory School. Upon graduation in 1943 he entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) on September 7, 1943 at the Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues, Wernersville, PA, where he made his first ascetical and literary studies from 1943 - 1947. Woodstock College (MD) conferred on him an A.B. and the Licentiate (Ph.L) upon completion of his program in 1950. He was then assigned to the newly opened Maryland Province mission in Jamshedpur, India. Fr. Roberts spent the years 1950 - 1952 learning the Hindi language at Gomoh, prior to his teaching English, mathematics and religion in Jamshedpur's Loyola School from 1952 - 1954. He then entered St. Mary's College, Kurseong, India. Upon completion of theological studies, he was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood by Archbishop Ferdinand Perier on November 21, 1956. He completed further studies in spirituality and ascetical theology at St. Stanislaus College, Sitagarha, Hazaribagh, India in 1960. He made final profession in the Society at St. Mary's Church, Jamshedpur on February 2, 1961. Fr. Roberts' first priestly assignment was as a parochial vicar, director, and teacher in the central school of the Catholic Church in Anandpur, India, from 1957 to 1959. The next 18 years saw him in a diversity of roles in Jamshedpur; he was a teacher and assistant headmaster in the Loyola School; Provincial superior of the Jamshedpur Vice-Province 1962 - 1968; campus minister and retreat director, an instructor in the Xaavier Teachers Training College and in the College of Education; and, as he could be, a student of the Bengali language. The Society and the Church needed canon lawyers, so Fr. Roberts spent the years 1979 and 1980 studying Canon Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. The next phase of Father's work opened in 1981 at the Archbishop's House in Bhubaneswar, India, where he began a fifteen-year service as professor of Canon Law in Morning Star College, Calcutta, and judicial vicar and canonical consultant for the Orissa regional Tribunal until 1966. Health problems brought Fr. Roberts to the care facilities at Loyola Center Jesuit Community in Merion Station, PA where from 1996 to 2009 he exercised a variety of pastoral ministries. He then moved to the Province Infirmary at Manresa Hall where he continued his prayerful support for the Church and his brother Jesuits until death on October 27, 2016. In addition to his Jesuit brothers, Father is survived by a sister; Sr. Maryam, OCD of Flemington, NJ and a brother, William P. Roberts, Dayton. OH. Visitation at Manresa Hall, 261 City Ave., Merion Station, PA, Tuesday, November 1 from 3:30 - 5:00 pm; Wake Service 4:30 pm. Funeral Mass at 10:30 am on Wednesday, November 2, at Manresa Hall. Interment in Wernersville, PA. Condolences may be sent to Mr. William P. Roberts at; 125 Mahrt Avenue, Dayton, OH 45409-9102. NOTE: ALL VISITATION AND SERVICE IS IN THIS NOTICE.