July 16, 1937 – September 2, 2020
Father Jeremiah T. Sullivan, 83, died at Bee Hive Homes in Helena, Montana, on September 2, 2020. For nearly 57 years he ministered as priest at Carroll College, and often substituted at parishes throughout the Helena Diocese.
Jeremiah Thomas Sullivan was born in Butte, Montana, on July 16, 1937, the son of Jeremiah and Sadie Sullivan. He attended Immaculate Conception Catholic Grade School, Boys Central Catholic High School, and Carroll College. His seminary formation was at the Pontifical North American College with theology studies at the Gregorian University in Rome.
Jeremiah T. Sullivan was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Helena in Rome on December 19, 1962. Father Sullivan returned to the Diocese of Helena in the summer of 1963 and was assigned for the summer at Little Flower Parish in Browning. In the autumn of 1963, he was assigned to the Faculty and remained in that assignment throughout his active priestly ministry. He pursued graduate studies in History at St. Louis University. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, which he employed in Florence, Italy.
One of Father Sullivan’s enduring accomplishments was authoring the Carroll College Mission statement, which embodies the college’s spirit of service to others, academic excellence and commitment to the search for truth through faith and reason. For his four decades of outstanding service to the Carroll College community and the Diocese of Helena, Carroll College awarded him the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa in March of 2007.
Father Jeremiah was a popular presenter on the History of the Catholic Church and the Second Vatican Council. Participants in the Diocese of Helena Program of Formation for Lay Ministers and the Program for Formation for Permanent Deacons benefited from his historical expertise, his memory for detail, and his often humorous approach to the Church’s history.
Father Sullivan accepted Senior Status in July 2007. In his retirement years, he initially lived at Carroll College, then at Touchmark on Saddle Drive, and for his final years at BeeHive Homes. Father Sullivan was grateful to all who provided for his care at both facilities.
Father Jeremiah Sullivan was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Jim. He is survived by his nephews and nieces and their families.
There will be visitation at Retz Funeral Home in Helena on Thursday, September 10 from noon to 4 p.m. Bishop Austin A. Vetter will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial at Immaculate Conception Church in Butte, on Friday, September 11 at noon, Burial will follow in the Priests’ Plot at Holy Cross Cemetery.