Joe was a student at Campion Hall for special studies during his Jesuit formation, served as Master from 1989 to 1998 and returned as a member of the Hall from 2010 to 2017. In an interview with Emanuele Colombo in 2020, Joe described his nine years in office at Campion Hall as “very happy ones” in which he felt at ease, fully occupied with delightful company and work that fascinated him. His work on Byzantine literature will leave a lasting impact on the development of Byzantine studies. In later years, he focused on translating important primary and secondary literature in Ignatian spirituality from various languages, making key texts available to a wider audience. He was apostolically active until his death at the age of 90 years.
Joe saw cura personalis (care for the whole person and for every person), for students, academics and staff, to be his primary duty as Master. Readers who knew Joe will remember him for his many kindnesses.
Born in Cardiff on 23 December 1931, Joe was educated at St Mary’s College in Liverpool and joined the Jesuit novitiate in Harlaxton in 1950. His training as a Jesuit included a Philosophy degree at Heythrop College, Greats (Literae Humaniores) at Campion Hall, Theology at Comillas Pontifical University, and Oriental Theology at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. He was ordained in 1965, and for a decade from 1967, he engaged in Byzantine studies in Rome, Paris, London, and Greece, being awarded a DLitt by the University of Paris in 1976. From 1987-1989, he was Superior of the Jesuit community in Cavendish Square, after which he moved to Campion Hall as Master. Throughout his life, Joe continued his research and writing in Byzantine studies, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Birmingham in 2004. In 2010, he returned to Campion Hall as Assistant Superior, later becoming an Emeritus Fellow and also the Hall’s librarian. In 2017 he moved to London, initially to Mount Street and then to Copleston House, where he stayed until ill health led to a move to Boscombe. Joe published extensively in Byzantine literature and was one of the founders of Byzantine texts, Corpus Christianorum, Series Graeca and its sister series, Corpus Christianorum in Translation.
Requiescat in pace.
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