Ninth Provincial of Region, 1974-1979
Richard T. Cleary was born on September 24, 1932 to Herbert J. and Teresa I. (Moore) Cleary in Melrose, MA. He was educated at Winchester High School, Winchester, MA from 1945 to 1949, Tufts University, Medford, MA from 1949 until 1951, and the School of St. Philip Neri for Delayed Vocations, Boston, MA from 1952 until 1953. He entered the Society of Jesus on July 30, 1953 at Shadowbrook, Lenox, MA for a two year novitiate. From 1955 until 1956 he took classical studies at Shadowbrook and St. Andrew-on-Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY and then went to Weston College, Weston, MA from 1956 until 1959 where he studied philosophy. From 1959 until 1963, he studied biology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, earning a M.A. He then returned to Weston College to study theology from 1963 until 1967 and was awarded a Licentiate in Sacred Theology. He was ordained at Weston College on June 11, 1966. In 1966, he became director of program at Inner City Tutorial Program, Boston, MA and served until 1967 when he became chaplain at Boston City Hospital for the summer. His tertianship was at St. Robert's Hall, Pomfret, CT from 1967 until 1968. Following that he was appointed director of field education at Weston School of Theology, in Cambridge, MA from 1968 until 1970, also serving as assistant director of pastoral ministries and social apostolate for the New England Province. In 1970 he was appointed director of field education at the Boston Theological Institute and in 1972 he became Vice Provincial for Formation for the New England Province.
He was appointed Provincial of the New England Province in 1974 serving until 1979. During his term, he was involved with the establishment of the new Campion Health and Renewal Center on the site of the old Weston College in Weston, MA. He then went on sabbatical to Berkeley, CA, and in 1980 returned to Weston, MA as the first superior and rector of Campion Health and Renewal Center. In 1988, he was appointed director of campus ministry at Boston College, serving until 2000. He went to Ireland for sabbatical for one year and returned to take up the post as chaplain at the Newman Catholic Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA in 2001. In 2006, he became assistant pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Salem, NH and served there until several medical problems required him to come to Campion Health Center two years later. He died at Campion Center on October 7, 2009 and is buried there.