

Sections
Highlight
Juan Cano
Friday, 31 January 2025, 09:32
The news of the supposed murder of Father Richard K. Gross in Malaga has caused a deep shock in the American city of Boston, where he lived and where he had carried out his teaching and religious activity within the Jesuit community, to which he belonged.
His violent death and the identification of his body, reported by this newspaper, has been widely reported in the Spanish and foreign media, especially in newspapers such as The Boston Globe and television channels such as ABC and CBS, and on the InfoVaticana website.
The media have echoed the information published by SUR on the circumstances of the death of the priest, whose body was found on 21 January in a tourist flat in Calle Viento, near Calle Carretería, in the centre of Malaga, with clear signs of violence.
The police investigation has revealed that Father Gross died the day before, on 20 January, only a few hours after arriving in the city. Everything suggests that he was assaulted as soon as he entered the flat - he still had the keys on him - by one or more persons who stole his belongings, specifically a rucksack and a suitcase containing his documentation.
The autopsy determined that the tourist, who was going on a cruise the following day - he had booked the flat for a week - died of asphyxiation. Investigations have yet to determine how this happened, although the main hypothesis is that he was somehow restrained to immobilise him.
Gross, who was 80 years old, was well known both inside and outside the religious community, hence the shock of the news. He was born in Wrentham and attended Boston College before becoming a Jesuit, according to a statement from the Jesuit religious community in the United States reported in local media.
He was ordained a priest in 1976 and then taught for five years at Boston College High School as a religion teacher and spiritual advisor. He then went on to teach at the prestigious Phillips Academy boarding school in Andover for more than a decade.
He returned to Boston College High School in 2023 to continue his pastoral work and serve the Jesuit community there. He was also pastor at the University of Connecticut at Storrs and chaplain at Vanderbilt and LaSalle universities.
Gross is survived by three sisters and was preceded in death by a brother, according to the Jesuit community statement. He was currently living in residence at Boston College High, which expressed in a statement its shock at the loss: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Father Gross’ family, his Jesuit brothers and all those blessed by his ministry.”
“We pray for his eternal peace and for the comfort of those who mourn his loss.” it continued.
The priest used to celebrate mass - the last one on 16 January, four days before the crime - at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church in Boston Harbour. In his obituary, the Eastern province of the Society of Jesus in the United States said: “Father Gross has had a long career in many schools and institutions as a dedicated chaplain, minister and teacher. We will miss him.”
“Father Gross was very kind, I think that was his most outstanding quality. He was very approachable, someone you could go and talk to,” parishioner John Haynes told CBS television. The priest was known for his love of travel, his “self-confidence” and his “independent and adventurous spirit,” he added.
Publicidad
Publicidad
Publicidad
Publicidad
Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.
Reporta un error en esta noticia
Debido a un error no hemos podido dar de alta tu suscripción.
Por favor, ponte en contacto con Atención al Cliente.
¡Bienvenido a SURINENGLISH!
Tu suscripción con Google se ha realizado correctamente, pero ya tenías otra suscripción activa en SURINENGLISH.
Déjanos tus datos y nos pondremos en contacto contigo para analizar tu caso
¡Tu suscripción con Google se ha realizado correctamente!
La compra se ha asociado al siguiente email
Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados
¿Ya eres registrado?
Inicia sesiónNecesitas ser suscriptor para poder votar.