Father Henry J. Erhart

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Boston College University of Scranton

Henry Erhart Obituary

Father Henry J. Erhart, S.J., 88, a Jesuit for 70 years, a priest for 57, teacher, minister and chaplain, died Aug. 3, 2012, at Manresa Hall in Merion Station, Pa., of pneumonia.

Among his many assignments, he spent 15 years at the University of Scranton and 16 years at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 10 a.m. at Manresa Hall, 261 City Ave., Merion Station. Interment will follow at the Jesuit Cemetery in Wernersville, Pa.

Henry J. Erhart was born June 5, 1924, in Philadelphia, the son of Elizabeth Clifton and Joseph F. Erhart. Following graduation from St. Joseph's High School in Philadelphia, he entered the Jesuit Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues in Wernersville in 1942. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in classics from Weston College (at Boston College) in 1948. He continued his studies at Weston, earning his Masters of Arts and licentiate in philosophy in 1949.

Fr. Erhart was ordained to the priesthood, June 19, 1955, at Woodstock College, in Woodstock, Md. In 1956 he earned his bachelor's degree in sacred theology from Woodstock College.

Fr. Erhart's assignments throughout his 70 years as a Jesuit were quite varied; as a teacher, pastoral minister and hospital chaplain with his longest assignments at the University of Scranton and Greater Baltimore Medical Center. His first assignment, as a scholastic, was at Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, Md., where he taught German in 1949. Fr. Erhart then taught theology at the University of Scranton from 1957 to 1972. For the next 40 years, he engaged in pastoral work in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C. His assignments included serving as assistant pastor at Holy Rosary Church in Scranton, 1972-1973; and at St. John's Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., 1973-1974; Corpus

Christi Church in Baltimore, 1975-1976; and St. Patrick's Church in York, Pa., 1991-1993.

Twice, Fr. Erhart was assigned to minister in a hospital. In 1974, he spent a year as assistant chaplain at Georgetown University Hospital. In 1976, Fr. Erhart took on the role of chaplain at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, a ministry he continued until 1992.

From 1993 to 2000, Fr. Erhart served as a pastoral minister in local apostolates while living at the Jesuit Community at Loyola Blakefield. He continued there until 2000.

Fr. Erhart's next assignment took him to the Jesuit Center in Wernersville where he was a pastoral minister and helping with retreats from 2000 to 2008. That year, he took on the assignment of praying for the Church and the Society at the Jesuit Center and was transferred to Manresa Hall in 2009.

A viewing will be held at Manresa Hall before the funeral at 10 a.m.

Fr. Erhart had no immediate survivors.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Scranton Times on Aug. 7, 2012.

Memories and Condolences
for Henry Erhart

9 Entries

Theresa Biansco

August 9, 2012

I met Father Erhart at Wernersvile at the Jesuit Retreat Center.Father had recently retired there,and we encountered when I helped him with some
spilled coffee.
The conversations I had with him and the wonderful insights he had have always stayed with me.
He had a devilish sense of humor,an incredible mind,and a sense of caring that emanated from him.
He made me laugh with some of his stories.
He loved the group Abba,and quoted some of their lyrics. He recommended a book which to this day, I reread as the message was so profound, yet in a simple story he knew I would appreciate.
I often wished I could have kept in touch, but care taking kept me occupied.
I will always remember his story about his mother who went into the convent after his father died.
He was truly remarkable, a good man, a man of deep faith,and one who truly made a difference in the world.
May Father Henry, be rejoicing in Heaven with His Lord and Savior.
Rest in Peace.
Terry Biansco
Glenside PA

Charlotte Ponticelli

August 9, 2012

I will always remember Father Erhart's kindness to me and my newborn baby when he visited us at GBMC back in 1988. I had had an emergency C-section and the baby was premature and spent the first month of his life in the neonatal intensive-care unit. I'll never forget Father Erhart walking into the unit one day to introduce hiimself to us and to bless our baby. He loved the fact that we had named our son John Paul. JP will be 26 years old this month. Thank you, Father Erhart for the way you blessed us all those years ago!

Ray Keefe

August 8, 2012

My recollections are very similar to Mr. Boyle. I only had one semester with Father teaching us( or trying to) the Theology of the Church via Vatican II.
His passion was always clear and today my views on the Church are always checked against what I learned in his class.

Rest in peace.

Ray Keefe UofS '71

Rick Cole

August 7, 2012

As a student at the University of Scranton, I was in one of his Theology courses---and had a well deserved reputation for demanding rigorous study habits if you aspired for a B or A grade---think his nickname, mentioned previously was "Hammering Hank".
Together with other of his Jesuit colleagues---like Bernie Suppe--had very high standards and later in life I reflected if they had done that to better train and prepare us young men of northeastern Pennsylvania for the stout challenges which awaited in major companies in the large metropolitan cities.
The education,specifically in Theology was invaluable in my life journey and helped me address some of the challenging times and events and recognize the greatest gift I received from my parents was the gift of Faith.
Finally,on graduation day in June 1966 my parents and closest Aunt and Uncle visited the U of S campus as guests for the first time in their life to proudly see the first male in the family receive a college diploma.
Since my father had followed his father by starting work in the coal mines and my uncle had worked in the railroad yards--- they were joyful but intimidated by the former Scranton Mansion graduation grounds and ceremonies.
On leaving the grounds and moving toward to Student Union for lunch, our party was approached by Father Erhart , who introduced himself to every member of my family, walked to the Student Union , asked if he might join us and proceded to make every member of my family feel welcome and that they belonged there---all the while engaging them in animated conversation and talking more than I had seen in a year in his class.
He also had some very sage career advice for me--which has served me well over the many years.
Honestly I think the gracious, solicitous,kind way he treated my family made my graduation the memorable day it was for all of us.
May he enjoy God's loving eternal embrace and be treated with the same love he poured out that warm day in June of 1966.

Bob O'Hora UofS '64

August 7, 2012

You were a very good man, Father Erhart, and a great teacher. Rest in peace.

Chuck Boyle

August 7, 2012

I think I had Father for two years, second year only one semester. I graduated in 1966. He was very exacting, if not demanding. Hours memorization was unpleasant, but remarkably I didn't resent it, because he was a faithful & sincere man despite saying he keep his heart in a jar in the Jesuit House. Several years after graduating I had ocassion to dine with him as he befriended a couple who were friends. He was delightful. Rest in Peace Farher.

Chuck Boyle, LCSW, BCD University of Scranton class of 1966

Angelo Vergnetti

August 7, 2012

My first encounter with Father Erhart was in Theology class. His first lecture got everybody's attention as he quite colofully told us we could forget all we learned in Catholic education up till then. I learned quite a bit abouut my faith in that first class which has stayed with me until this day. As others have said he was tough but a great teacher who had everyone's best interet at heart. May God welcome this wonderful man home.

Angelo Vergnetti 1963 UofS

August 7, 2012

In 1960 he was quietly referred to as Hammerin Hank (Theology class, UofS) and he sure made an impact on my thinking for the rest of my life. Tough, fair and very hard working. I remember Spring break where he went home and with his brother, they painted their parents home. He said "Vacation is doing something different; it's not sitting sround doing nothing". That stuck with me

John 1962 UofS

Margaret DeAngelis

August 6, 2012

I met Father Erhart in 2007 when I made a sojourn of some ten days at the Jesuit Spiritual Center in Wernersville where he was living in retirement. He was a good man, a wise spiritualk guide, and a delightful dinner companion. He counseled me on prayer and on fiction writing. When I told him that I had prayed for many years for the happiness and well-being of an old friend I had fallen out of touch with, only to find that his life had been anything but easy and joy-filled, Father Henry told me to keep at it anyway. ”We can't know this side of paradise what any of this means. Sorrow in the world does not reveal to us a cruel God. Rather, it hides from us the God of love, but only if we let it.”

Last week I took to a writing conference workshop a manuscript which has a character drawn on Father Erhart, and thus I had occasion to think about him and to talk about him. The manuscript and that character were both well-received. When I noticed hits to my blog from searches on his name, I knew in my heart what had happened, and I searched today for his obituary.

My acquaintance with Gather Erhart was brief, but important for me, and the effect he has had on me will be lifelong. Rest in peace, Father Henry.
Love, Margaret

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