Thoughts & Prayers – Loss of a Board Member

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Gonzaga Trustee, Rev. Gregory M. Goethals, S.J. at the age of 70. On November 8, he suffered a massive heart attack in New York and had been hospitalized in critical condition. Although his doctors had observed signs of improvement, sadly the damage he suffered was too great to overcome.

Rev. Goethals was ordained in 1988 and was missioned to Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona, serving as Director of Campus Ministry. After his time at Brophy, he received his Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of San Francisco and went on to San Francisco’s St. Ignatius College Preparatory where he held positions as Counselor, the superior of the Jesuit Community, the director of Campus Ministry, a religious studies teacher and chairman of the Board of Trustees.

In 2005, Rev. Goethals returned to his high school alma mater, Loyola High School of Los Angeles, as the Director of the Office of Adult Spirituality and Superior of the Jesuit Community and in 2006 assumed the role of President, a role he held for nearly two decades.

During his time as President, Rev. Goethals led Loyola through the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other challenges in the educational space. A recent article from the school’s newspaper called Rev. Goethals the ‘face of Loyola,’ sharing that, “at the forefront of his leadership has been the core belief that every person needs and is deserving of unconditional love, something that has guided him at Loyola and in all areas of his life.”

His service extended well beyond Gonzaga having served on the Boards of Santa Clara University, Loyola Marymount University, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Blessed Sacrament School, Dolores Mission School, Georgetown University and Mayfield Junior School, among others. His life was the embodiment of servant leadership, putting God above self, walking alongside others and supporting their own formation.

Rev. Goethals was an active and deeply engaged member of our Board of Trustees, with his wisdom, insight, energy, and faith having enriched and strengthened our community. Joining the Board in summer 2022, one of his first introductions to our institution was to travel to Rome and Florence for the Trustee Pilgrimage. It was during this trip that he joined his fellow Trustees and Gonzaga leaders to walk the paths that St. Ignatius himself walked centuries ago.

As his time at Loyola was coming to a close, Rev. Goethals shared three pieces of advice to all his students: (1) Be who God created you to be and balance all those to the best of your ability, (2) Give back to the world and love openly, and (3) Always have hope.

Please join the University in keeping Rev. Goethals’ family, friends, loved ones and the communities he served in your thoughts and prayers during this time of tragic loss.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.