Frederick Parrella

1943 - 2025

Frederick Parrella
03/19/1943 - 10/17/2025
With deep sadness we record the passing of Frederick Joseph Parrella, PhD, distinguished theologian, gifted teacher and beloved friend.
Raised in Queens, New York, by a single mother, Dr. Parrella worked his way to a Ph.D. from Fordham University, earning degrees in classical languages and systematic theology. He joined the faculty of Santa Clara University in the Department of Religious Studies, where his 43-year career was marked by teaching excellence, scholarship, and service. He retired in 2020, earning the distinction of professor emeritus.
Dr. Parrella stood among the leading Catholic voices in engagement with the works of Paul Tillich, editing and contributing to major volumes in Tillichian studies. In 2023, he published his final major work, The Idea of the Church: Historical and Theological Perspectives, which examined how the Church has defined itself over two millennia.
At heart, Fred Parrella was a teacher. He mentored and inspired generations of students at Santa Clara and taught highly popular courses that addressed life's biggest questions-love, marriage, death, the nature of being. With his unique combination of irreverent humor and academic rigor, Fred made these themes personally relevant to his young students. Fred's love of the Catholic tradition was deep and prophetic: he taught about sacramental same-sex marriage and supported women's ordination decades before most dared to bring it up in their classrooms.
His generosity of spirit made Fred's life an expansive one. He loved aged scotch, fine dining, fountain pens and classical music-but he was equally comfortable sharing a hot dog at the Giants game, shooting the breeze with shopkeepers, or buying knockoff watches on Canal Street. He was as eager to help you defrost your freezer as he was to pray with you at Chartres. He navigated the subways of his beloved New York City and the metro of Paris with equal ease. He had dear friends from all walks of life.
Those friends know they will never meet a more loyal, more unconditionally loving, more fun or more engaging companion. You could tell Fred anything and never fear judgment. He talked about God's grace with such assurance, it seemed as if he had insider knowledge. He left this life with the peace that comes from deep faith and a life well-lived. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends, colleagues, former students, and the larger theological community.
A funeral mass will be celebrated on Thursday November 13 at 9:00 am in the Mission Church, Santa Clara University