View From Above: Fr. Tony Azzarto, S.J.

Faculty Member, Chaplain, and/or Alumni Chaplain: 1963-present (2023)*

*Includes some periods of non-Prep assignments

It was June in 1963 when I joined a few fellow scholastics at midnight in the basement of the Jesuit seminary in Shrub Oak (Westchester County, New York) to place a phone call to Brooklyn Prep Jesuits. We were anxious to find out where we would be assigned. (It would be posted the next morning at 8:00 a.m at Shrub Oak, but we were eager to know.)

I hoped to be assigned to Xavier High School, but instead I was directed to Saint Peter’s Prep. There, from 1963 to 1966, I taught Latin and English, and also moderated the Dance Committee and the Mission Drive. I was blessed with student friends–Pat Kane, ‘64; Tom Leane, Joe O’Donnell, Tim Hawkes and Joe Urbanovich (from the Class of ‘65); and John Milsop, ‘66, to name a few. Years later they asked me to be the minister of marriage and baptisms of their children.

During that time, President Kennedy was assassinated and the neighborhood was dangerous, with students walking in groups of two or three down Montgomery Street to Exchange Place for the PATH train.For the most part they came from Hudson County and many were involved in sports. The Thanksgiving game of Prep vs. Dickinson drew thousands of people, and students would then come to the Gridiron Hop dance that evening at Prep.

After Ordination in 1969, I returned to Prep from 1972 to 1980, teaching English and religion. It was a time of rebellion, questioning authority, and a decline in enrollment. Lay teachers became a large part of the school, and I bonded with a new generation of Prep students–including Gary Cardiello, ‘73; John Chester and Peter Colford (Class of ‘74); Peter Cardiello, Ed Hartnett and Tom Oser (Class of ‘78); Jack Raslowsky, ‘79; and John Feeney, ‘80.

Fr. Ned Coughlin began the Emmaus retreat program, and there were no cell phones or Facebook distractions. Instead, students would often hang out together on weekends. They knew each other from parishes like O.L.M., O.L.V., St. Al’s and St. Mary’s . Prep was still a community of mostly Catholic students, but this was beginning to change. Father John Browning began the Higher Achievement Program (HAP), and dances at Prep included young ladies from Snyder, Ferris, and Lincoln.

I spent 1980 to1985 in Nigeria, West Africa, but still kept in touch with Prep (for those who could read my writing!). Upon my return in 1985 through to 2005, I was involved with Campus Ministry as chaplain. Father John Mullin had the Emmaus program running smoothly, and then one-day retreats were introduced for seniors. Jim DeAngelo, ‘85 would return to Prep to teach German, to nurture the German Exchange program, and to assist with many Emmaus Retreats.

It was also a tumultuous period for the Catholic church, especially in El Salvador with separate incidents that included the murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero, of four churchwomen, and of six Jesuits (and two lay helpers).

At Prep, campus ministry expanded to include service projects to Kentucky and West Virginia. Teaching evolved from formal lectures to include films, group discussions, and small liturgies. In addition, there was a readiness to attend wakes, funerals and sporting events. The community at Prep had great pride in all they did. Exchange programs continued and expanded as we became conscious of a larger world. The art and music programs expanded under the leadership of Jack Raslowsky, and the Ebony Club took great strides in hosting speakers and events.

In 2005 I left the campus for a two-year assignment in Lagos, Nigeria, and during that time Prep made its appearance there as Fr. Jim Keenan and Jim DeAngelo visited me in Lagos. It was great to see them, and in 2007 I returned to Prep to be a guidance counselor for freshmen and to teach a senior elective on the saints. Jersey City was changing: new buildings, a new light rail system, waterfront hotels. Students came from many different counties, and there was great pride, especially in soccer and football programs.

While the number of Jesuits declined, Ignatian spirituality (Men and Women for and with Others) continued to grow. Lay men and women were a witness in their lives to the presence of God in all people and all things, and Maura Toomb showed great leadership in Campus Ministry. Students were very open to Kairos retreats for juniors and Emmaus retreats for seniors. Seniors had a great relationship with freshmen, and the Freshman for a Day recruitment initiative flourished under the leadership of John Irvine, ‘83.

Prep had become a community where everyone was welcome, and the school’s diversity enriched that community. Father Bob Reiser once described Prep students as being “aggressively friendly,” and they really were. Across the board, there was a wonderful relationship with students, faculty, coaches and parents.

The motto “Prep for Life” rings true, exemplified by the alumni continuing the tradition of programs including Mass on the Road, Theology on Tap, the Bereavement Committee, and great support of the Gala and other initiatives that support our scholarships and financial aid programs. I have been blessed to be part of Saint Peter’s Prep since 1963...truly a sacrament of God’s presence. God was at work in 1963 in missioning me to Jersey City. I am now physically in the Bronx, but my heart is–and will always be–at 144 Grand with all Prep’s Pride and Glory.

Fr. Azzarto passed away on April 15, 2023.