Rev. John F. Kavanaugh

SOMETHING TONITE TOLD ME TO SEARCH JOHN KAVANAUGH. I KNEW HIM AND HIS BROTHER TOM.
LOVED TO LISTEN TO JOHN FOLEY AND JOHN KAVANAUGH PLAY GUITARS AND SING. I CAN STILL HEAR THEIR BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER.
THIS WAS IN THE LATE SIXTIES. I WILL PRAY FOR HIS SURVIVING FAMILY TONITE.
I WAS PRIVILEGED TO HAVE KNOWN THE KAVANAUGH FAMILY AND JOHN.
VERNON G. (SKIP) BAUER

I had the good fortune to meet with Fr Kavanaugh only once, and that for but an hour. It was a good hour. It didn't take long to experience his impact. Subsequently I read Who Counts as Persons and also his articles in America. His is a presence I will miss but yet remains.

Fr. John Kavanaugh was such an inspiration for me over the years. Whenever he would give a talk or a homily, he spoke with such truthfulness and compassion, that many times just the manner in which he spoke would bring me to tears. I used to love to read his columns in the St. Louis Review and have saved so many of them over the years. He baptized 2 of my children, took the time to mail me an encouraging word or two from time to time, and once told me, "Patti, make sure you teach your...

I knew John when he was a Scholastic teaching philosophy at Rockhurst College in the 1960's. We became good friends. We played guitar, tennis, and were in a movie together along with my girl friend, now wife, Max. John sang at our wedding in the chapel in Conway Hall on the Rockhurst College campus in 1968. Max and I attended his ordination in 1971. We visited with John and shared emails over the years. In 2010 Max and I visited with John during a family reunion in St. Louis. He took us to...

When I firs met Fr Kavanaugh he was Mr. Kavanaugh, working toward his ordination and teaching Philosophy at Rockhurst College in Kansas City Missouri. I still have his text book in my library and recall his dignity and warmth in his classes. He was the musician at our College Mass each Saturday.He may be the most influential instructor I had in my years at Rockhurst. God Bless!!

I didn't know Father Kavanaugh personally but only thru his columns, in The Sunday Website At SLU. I saved his column for last it was like dessert. He challenged me,made my hair stand up occasionally and has helped on my faith journey. I can only imagine the loss everyone is feeling with his passing. Thanks Father John for your gifts.

As a former Alexian Brother, I sat with John over coffee, conversation and liturgy. His death is a profound ending for a wonderful man who had a storied and grand life. May he rest in the loving arms of his tender God.

John belonged to a group of priests I liked to call the "Jewish Jesuits."

They practiced tikum olam, told a good joke and revered folks like Martin Luther King and Abraham Heschel.

John was a mensch.

The finest teacher I have ever had.
An even finer man and brother priest.
He will be missed by so many whose lives he touched.
I will offer a Mass for him in the next couple of weeks.
Be assured of my prayers,

Rev. Christopher J. Dunlap