Historical directory of Hungarian, Hungarian-descended, and Hungarian-speaking clergy serving abroad

Reiner József SJ

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Deceased

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Birth data:: Chicago, IL, USA — March 2, 1881
Death data:: Chicago, IL, USA — October 14, 1934
Denomination:: Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:: religious
Diocese / Order:: jezsuita (Societas Jesu)

Ordination level:: priest
Entry into religious life:: Innsbruck, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Austria — 1902
Perpetual vows:: April 3, 1918
Priestly ordination:: 1913
Other name used:: Joseph Stephen Reiner

Biographical data

He was a second-generation Hungarian. His father ran a saloon, but he himself never drank alcohol his entire life. He began his theological studies at St. Francis Seminary, then entered the Society of Jesus in Innsbruck in 1902. He was involved in Hungarian pastoral work for a short time. In 1915, he founded St. Stephen’s Parish in St. Louis, MO, USA, bringing together 50 families for this purpose, but he was ultimately unable to establish the community.
From 1927, he served as moderator of CISCORA (Chicago Inter-Scholastic Catholic Organization) and, later, its successor, CISCA (Chicago Inter-Scholastic Catholic Action), a position he held from 1931 onward. He was an active organizer and moderator of the Marian Congregation and Actio Catholica.

Foreign service locations

From	To	Place	Current name, country	Church / institution	Position
1915 circa		St. Louis, MO, USA			founding pastor
1921	1931	Chicago, IL, USA		Loyola University	the first dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences

Literary activity

Írásos hagyatéka a Loyola University archivumában található meg.

Life timeline

Birth

March 2, 1881

Chicago, IL, USA

Entry into religious life

1902

Innsbruck, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Austria

Priestly ordination

1913

Service abroad

1915

St. Louis, MO, USA

founding pastor

Perpetual vows

April 3, 1918

Service abroad

1921 – 1931

Chicago, IL, USA

Loyola University

the first dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences

Death

October 14, 1934

Chicago, IL, USA

Sources

MKL: St. Louis-i Szent István Egyházközség
Káldor: 265.;
https://www.luc.edu/media/lucedu/archives/pdfs/reiner-joseph-1907-1966-UA1981.53.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com✓

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● birth ● priestly ordination ● domestic service ● foreign service ● death ● burial

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Citation for this entry

Reiner József SJ: personal record. In: Historical directory of Hungarian, Hungarian-descended, and Hungarian-speaking clergy serving abroad. Available at: https://www.diaszporalelkipasztorok.hu/persons_v2/view.php?id=923 (accessed: 2026-09-13).

Last modified: July 13, 2026 14:17 | Opened: 17 times