Father Naus

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance...

Sadly, the time has come for the Marquette University community to mourn the passing of the beloved Fr. Naus. He died on Sunday.

From the Marquette University News Center:

A Milwaukee native and 1942 graduate of Marquette University High School, Father Naus was born on Aug. 28, 1924, and was ordained as a priest in 1955 at the Church of the Gesu on the Marquette campus. He held degrees from Saint Louis University and the Gregorian University in Rome.

Father Naus began his work at Marquette as dean of students and served in a variety of capacities, including director of spiritual welfare, residence hall minister, associate professor of philosophy, faculty adviser to Alpha Sigma Nu and the Evans Scholars, assistant to the president, and chaplain to the Alumni Memorial Union. He was well-known throughout campus, including his history as Tumbleweed the Clown, his famous July Christmas cards, and his long tradition of celebrating the 10 p.m. Mass at the St. Joan of Arc Chapel on Tuesdays. He retired from Marquette in 2012 though continued to make frequent visits to campus.

In lieu of flowers, Father Naus requested memorials be made to the Rev. John Naus, S.J. Endowed Scholarship Fund, which was established in 2004 to support Marquette students like the thousands he served, taught and inspired as a Jesuit.

From the Marquette Tribune:

The Rev. John Naus died today at age 89 after recently suffering a stroke, his second stroke in 10 years. He was placed in palliative care Wednesday.

Naus worked at Marquette for 49 years before retiring in the fall of 2012. He was well known by students for presiding over Tuesday night Mass, his Marquette spirit and comedic personality. While chaplain of Schroeder Hall for 28 years, he presided over a Saturday night Mass and became well known by residents for the character “Tumbleweed the clown,” a name he received from wearing a clown suit and attending clown school frequently.

A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance.

Even in the midst of our mourning, it's impossible to remember Fr. Naus without smiling.

His joyful spirit, his care and concern, touched so many people.

What a beautiful legacy!