WELL-known Brisbane polymath Jesuit Father Ian Howells has died aged 91.
Fr Howells, who died at 11.45pm on April 23 at St John’s Home, Toowong – not far from the former Jesuit community where he spent almost 40 years ministering in Brisbane.
A statement from the Australian Jesuits said Fr Howells was the embodiment of the academic Jesuit.
“Coming from a highly academic family and entering the Society with a doctorate from one of the most prestigious universities in the world, he wore his learning lightly,” the statement said.
Fr Howells graduated from a doctorate in Applied Mathematics at Cambridge University in 1959.
“There is an anecdote from the beginning of his juniorate which typifies this,” they said.
“It is said that he demurely presented, with the other newly-vowed, before the young teacher who was to instruct the juniors in the rudiments of mathematics.
“When he asked who had any post-school mathematics, Ian’s hand was the only one raised.
“When asked to what level, he diffidently replied, ‘A PhD at Cambridge’.”
While highly knowledgeable, Fr Howells was modest in the extreme and, by nature, shy.
“A very spiritual and introverted person, he would, however, be always welcoming. Sadly, his absent-mindedness progressed to dementia in the last years of his life,” the Jesuits said.
During this time, however, he was well supported by Sacred Heart Sister Kath Muirhead, rector of Duchesne College the female counterpart of St Leo’s, College who, until Fr Howell’s death, visited him regularly and assisted with the administration of his affairs.
Fr Howells devoted the whole of his priestly life to the tertiary apostolate, lecturing and researching in Mathematics at the Universities of Melbourne, Adelaide and Queensland.
He was Catholic chaplain at the last two, where he was at home working as part of an ecumenical chaplaincy team, especially in Brisbane.
He resided in three Jesuit University Colleges – Newman, Aquinas and St Leo’s – and was Rector at Aquinas in Adelaide.
Most of the last 39 years of his life were spent in Brisbane, where he was a much revered member of a remarkable group of senior Jesuits, all of whom he outlived.
His combination of intellectual brilliance and strong faith was salutary for his academic colleagues, while his holiness and humility were unmistakable.
Fr Howells also undertook a comprehensive study of belief and unbelief in Australia thawith Jesuit Fathers John Begley and Adrian Lyons at the behest of the Provincial Jesuit Father Peter Steele.
The results were published in October 1990 under the title Faith in Australia: a study of belief in God, and unbelief.
This was a two-volume workbook for community, personal and pastoral use by Australian Jesuits and their co-workers.
Fr Howells’ Requiem Mass and funeral will be held at 11.30 am, Thursday, May 5 at St Ignatius’ Church, Toowong. His burial afterwards will be at Nudgee Cemetery and Crematorium, 493 St Vincents Rd, Nudgee.
