Thursday, May 18, 2006

OBITUARY
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(Maryland) Rev. Harold James Hocking, S.J., 84, died on May 16, 2006, at Manresa Hall, Merion Station, Pa.  He was a Jesuit for 66 years and a priest for 53 years.

Father Hocking was born June 22, 1921, in Eau Claire, Wis.  Following his graduation from Gonzaga High School, Washington, D.C., he entered the Society of Jesus at the Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues, Wernersville, Pa., on August 14, 1939.  After taking his First Vows on August 15, 1941, he pursued Juniorate (college) studies at Wernersville from 1941 to 1943 and was then sent to study philosophy at Woodstock College from 1943 to 1946.

From 1946 to 1949, Father Hocking, as a Jesuit scholastic, taught English and served as librarian at St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia, Pa.  Following his Regency, he studied theology from 1949 to 1953 at Woodstock College, where he was ordained to the priesthood by the Most Rev. Francis P. Keough, archbishop of Baltimore on June 22, 1952.  After the completion of his theological studies, Father Hocking made his Tertianship at the Jesuit Martyrs Shrine, Auriesville, N.Y., from 1953 to 1954 and pronounced his Final Vows in the Society at St. Aloysius Church, Washington, D.C. on August 15, 1955.

Father Hocking began his priestly ministry at Gonzaga High School, Washington, D.C., where he taught English and catechism (1954-1956) and freshman Latin, English and religion (1956-1969) and served as librarian.  He then had a sabbatical year (1969-1970) in London, England.   Upon his return to America, he taught Latin at Gonzaga High School from 1970 to 1972.  He was then sent to Osorno, Chile in 1972, where he taught Latin at the Colegio San Mateo from 1972 to 1974.  He then served as assistant librarian at Scranton Prep, from 1974 to l975.

From the late 1970s to 1984, Father Hocking was a pastoral minister in Armstrong and Pickering, Ont., (1979-1981), associate pastor at St. Agnes Church, Baltimore, Md. and assistant librarian and pastoral minister at Loyola High School, Towson, Md. (1982-1984). Returning to Canada in 1984, he served as assistant chaplain in the department of veteran affairs at the Sunnybrook Medical Center in Pickering, Ont. (1984-1986), chaplain at Providence Villa and Hospital, Scarsborough, Ont. (1986-1987), and associate pastor at St. Bernadette’s Church, Ajax, Ont. (1987-1989) before returning to the United States as a pastoral minister at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Ahoskie, N.C.

In 1991, Father Hocking was assigned to the Jesuit Center, Wernersville, Pa., where he served as librarian and pastoral minister until May 10, 2005, when due to age and failing health, he was transferred to Manresa Hall, Merion Station, Pa.  Here, he remained praying for the Church and the Society until his death on May 16, 2006.  

Announcements from the Maryland Province are published as needed.
This notice is archived on the web: www.mdsj.org/Deaths/Hocking_Harold_2.htm
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact John Swope, SJ, 410.532.1412.