Remembering Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.
The University has launched a memorial website to honor the life and service of Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., The University of Scranton’s 24th and 27th president, who passed away on March 10, 2021.
"Anyone who spent time with Father Pilarz experienced his humor, compassion and genuine humanity. He was a person for others in every sense, devoted to a life of service that exemplifies what it means to be a Jesuit and a priest,” wrote James M. Slattery ’86, chair of the Board of Trustees in the announcement of Father Pilarz’s death, which will be displayed on the website along with the obituary and the recording of the Mass of Christian Burial.
The site includes a photo gallery featuring Father Pilarz alongside students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends on and around campus during his two Scranton presidencies.
“Don’t waste love,” Father Pilarz often reminded the University community. Many continue to follow this advice in the wake of his death. Condolences, tributes and shared memories have come in from across the country in remembrance of his extraordinary life and career. Members of the University community and friends are invited to view these memories and condolences and submit their own through a form on the site.
Social media posts and comments about Father Pilarz are being added to the site as well.
The website also includes tributes from his colleagues and friends in higher education, the Jesuit community and government officials.
“We all admired his boundless energy and his capacity to share himself with others,” wrote Rev. Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU). “But, of all the things he taught us, his last gift was showing us how to face adversity with grace and dignity, with the same abandonment of personal will and comfort that characterized his Jesuit priesthood. That final lesson, his struggle with ALS, is, perhaps, his greatest legacy and a most eloquent example of a life lived totally for others and for Christ.”
