The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) today, April 22, expressed grief upon learning that Fr. Leonard Kennedy, C.S.B. died in Toronto on Holy Thursday earlier this month.

“We were saddened to hear of the passing of Father Kennedy, a beloved and holy priest,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of CNS.  “Catholic educators today stand on the backs of giants like Father Kennedy, who was an early advocate for the renewal of Catholic universities and will be remembered for his significant contributions to the Church.  Let us pray for the repose of his soul and the consolation of his family and friends.”

Fr. Kennedy served on the Board of Advisors for CNS’s Center for the Advancement of Catholic Higher Education since 2008.  Last year the Center re-published his book, How to Keep Your University Catholic, which was first issued in 1992.

He was the former President of Assumption College of the University of Windsor and St. Thomas More College of the University of Saskatchewan.  He also served as Director of the Center for Thomistic Studies and Dean of Philosophy at the University of St. Thomas, in Houston, Texas.

Fr. Kennedy maintained a close relationship with Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy in Barry’s Bay, Ontario, where he was a member of the international advisory board, taught philosophy and theology for a number of years, and often said Masses for the institution.

A news release on the Academy’s site reads: “Father Kennedy was, by all accounts, a very holy priest, a brilliant scholar, teacher and writer, trained in the truest Thomistic tradition, and a wise confidante and friend.”

Our Lady Seat of Wisdom is one of the Catholic institutions of higher education recommended by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, now a free online resource, for its strong Catholic identity.