REV. THOMAS D. STEGMAN

1963 - 2023

STEGMAN, Rev. Thomas D. Thomas D. Stegman, S.J., an internationally esteemed New Testament scholar and beloved former dean of the School of Theology and Ministry (STM) at Boston College, died on April 8, after a courageous battle with glioblastoma. He was 60. Fr. Stegman led the School of Theology and Ministry for six years, helping it to rise to the upper echelon of global rankings of schools of theology, divinity, and religious studies. He also built a close-knit, compassionate community of students and scholars who loved him for his kindness, exemplary leadership, and faithful witness to the Gospels. His distinguished teaching career began at the former Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge. He was one of the original faculty members to teach at the STM when the school opened in 2008, serving as a professor of New Testament and Professor Ordinarius. He also served as chair of the ecclesiastical faculty at the STM prior to being named dean. His scholarship was focused on the New Testament, with a specialty in the letters of St. Paul. A gifted writer and editor, he published six books and was working on his seventh at the time his passing. Fr. Stegman was praised by his students for his meticulous scholarship and extraordinary ability to guide them through the most challenging texts. Said one former student, "Tom opened the door to an encounter in freedom with the spirit of love and faithfulness in Scripture. Like a beautiful icon, Tom reflects the image and draws us into the Spirit of Christ." His grace and strong faith served as sources of inspiration and solace for many of his friends and colleagues. Several months before his death, Fr. Stegman told members of the BC community, "I want to bear faithful witness to our hope in the Resurrection from the dead. I have found our faith so consoling to me. We believe that death is not the end, but the beginning. As a priest, as somebody who teaches New Testament, the Resurrection is the fundamental tenet and belief. I want to bear a faithful witness to it in my life, not just my words." Fr. Stegman was raised in Holdrege, Nebraska. A talented high school baseball player, he was inducted into the Phelps County (Nebraska) Sports Hall of Fame and later coached junior varsity baseball at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha. He was a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. He studied mathematics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, where he earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy, summa cum laude. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1985. Fr. Stegman earned a Master's degree in philosophy from Marquette University, an M.Div. and S.T.L. from Weston Jesuit School of Theology, and a Doctorate in New Testament studies from Emory University. He was ordained in 1995. A much-respected member of the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Stegman represented his province at the 2012 Procurators Congregation in Nairobi and at the 36th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus in Rome, where he had the opportunity to meet Pope Francis. He is survived by his loving parents, Dennis and Kay Stegman; his brother, Mike and sister-in-law, Karen Stegman; his brother, Mark and sister-in-law, Mary Jo Stegman; his sister, Patti and brother-in-law, Michael Hasty; seven nephews and a niece; and his brothers in the Society of Jesus. "Tom was someone who knew early in his life that he wanted to be a priest," said his brother Mark. "While he always thought of himself as being a teacher and scholar, he really enjoyed being dean of the School of Theology and Ministry. He was proud of the work he did as dean and of the faculty and students in the STM community." A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, April 20 at St. Ignatius Church in Chestnut Hill. Visiting Hours will be from 10 a.m. until noon, and the Funeral Mass will take place at 12:15. In lieu of flowers, a Dean Thomas D. Stegman, S.J., Financial Aid Fund has been established to honor Fr. Stegman's remarkable legacy. Visit www.bc.edu/honorstegman

View the online memorial for Rev. Thomas D. STEGMAN