| Description | This series contains Dolan's personal papers including his personal correspondence, his cartoons and other artwork, documents related to various Jesuit committees he was involved with, and an extensive collection of material related to his position as Professor of Moral Theology at Heythrop College. These include "moral cases" which he created as spiritual training exercises, alongside a range of correspondence seeking his guidance on moral issues such as divorce and contraception.
Content warning: SJ/195/5/5 contains historic racial language which some users may find distressing. If you are upset by any of the material, please speak to a member of archive staff who can direct you to further support. |
| Admin_History | Gerard Dolan, known to most as Sam, was born in Windleshaw, St Helens on 3 February 1914. He was educated at the Christian Brothers’ School at West Park, before entering the novitiate at Roehampton on 7 September 1931. He then pursued his juniorate and philosophy at Heythrop, and then studied Maths and Physics at Oxford, for both his BA and MA. While a scholastic, he taught for two years at Corby School, Sunderland. After his ordination on 14 September 1946, with Tertianship at St Beunos, he was sent to Rome for a biennium in Moral and Canon Law. In 1952 he became Professor Extraordinary of Moral Theology at Heythrop for 14 years until being appointed Superior at Southwell House in 1966, while still keeping up his teaching at Heythrop. In 1970 he relinquished the position due to ill health, and undertook temporary roles at Campion Hall and St Beunos, before taking up the position of spiritual father at Barlborough prep school in 1972. He remained there for 10 years until March 1982, when his health steadily declined due to throat cancer until his death the following year, spending much of this period in Sheffield hospital. He died in Claremont Nursing Home, Sheffield, on 25 April 1983. His funeral and requiem took place in the boys’ chapel at Mount St Mary’s. |