Jesuit scholar and Marquette history professor dies at 46

Rev. Stephen J. Molvarec, S.J., died unexpectedly on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the age of 46. The Marquette University community announced the loss of the former history faculty member and Jesuit brother. He was serving as an assistant professor of church history in the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College at the time of his death.

Molvarec spent three years at Marquette during his Jesuit regency. He taught history survey courses and a class on witchcraft while serving in campus ministry. He also ministered at parishes in the Milwaukee area. He later continued his theological studies at Boston College, where he earned a Master of Divinity and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology.

The scholar specialized in medieval spirituality, with a focus on Carthusian monasticism and religious life in the 12th and 13th centuries. He also studied the history of medieval cities. Molvarec originally hailed from Buffalo, New York. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Canisius College and received his master’s and doctoral degrees in medieval history from the University of Notre Dame.

He entered the Society of Jesus in 2012 and was ordained a priest in 2022. Colleagues at Marquette recalled his ability to bring people together and his gift for friendship. He regularly invited students and staff to lunch at the Jesuit Residence. Students and faculty at Boston College described him as a kind, generous, and understanding teacher.

A visitation will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 3 to 5 p.m. and again from 7 to 8 p.m. The event will conclude with a vigil service at St. Mary’s Hall Conference Room, located at 140 Commonwealth Ave. in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The vigil and the subsequent funeral Mass will be livestreamed on the St. Ignatius Parish YouTube channel.

A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, at 12:15 p.m. at St. Ignatius Loyola Church, 28 Commonwealth Ave. in Chestnut Hill. Interment will follow at the Jesuit Cemetery at Campion Jesuit Community in Weston, Massachusetts. Marquette University plans to hold a memorial service on its campus at a later date, with details to be shared as they become available.