Christendom College mourns the passing of beloved former associate chaplain, Theology Department Chairman, and Professor Emeritus Fr. Robert Skeris. A member of the Christendom community for a decade in the 1990s, Fr. Skeris was instrumental in the intellectual and spiritual growth of the college during its second full decade, leaving a tremendous impact on Christendom and its students. Fr. Skeris was 89.
“Fr. Robert Skeris was a great gift to the entire Christendom College community, which he served faithfully for so many years as chaplain, professor, choirmaster, and ‘legitimate liturgist,'” says President Emeritus Dr. Timothy O’Donnell. “He had a profound impact on students, faculty, and staff and brought a spirit of excellence to everything he did. Many will still recall with great fondness his end of the academic year celebrations for all the faculty and staff with their children. He was also an excellent chef, which he enjoyed sharing with students and friends alike. And who can forget the memos he would send in multiple languages? His love for ‘musica sacra’ was infectious and greatly impacted those whom he came in contact with. Fr. Skeris was a great priest and faithful servant of Christ and His Church. May he rest in peace.”
Fr. Skeris with Pope St. John Paul II.
Fr. Skeris became a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1961, later earning degrees from the Universities of Notre Dame, Cologne, and Bonn, including his Doctor of Theology degree. After serving as a professor at the University of Dallas and at Holy Trinity Seminary, Fr. Skeris was appointed Director of the Hymnology Section at the International Institute for Hymnological and Ethno-Musicological Studies in Maria Laach in 1978, where he worked for the West German Bishops’ Conference and the Academy of Science in Mainz as a researcher.
Fr. Skeris with fellow Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert Rice.
Fr. Skeris later served as a professor at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome from 1986 through 1989, where he was also named a Consultor to the Vatican’s Office of Pontifical Ceremonies. Following his time in Rome, Fr. Skeris came to Christendom, joining the college’s faculty in 1990. During his decade of service to the college, Fr. Skeris became a beloved member of the Christendom community, serving as associate chaplain, as Chairman of the Theology Department, and as director of the college’s choir and Schola Gregoriana. He also was the organizer of the college’s annual Church Music Colloquium, all while also serving as President of the Church Music Association of America.
In 2001, Fr. Skeris was chosen to become the chairman of the Dom Mocquereau Fund and Director of the Center for Studies in the Ward Method of Gregorian Chant at the Catholic University of America, necessitating his leaving Christendom. For his incredible contributions to the college over the course of a decade, Fr. Skeris was named a Professor Emeritus in Sacred Theology, a title he held until his passing.
Fr. Skeris leaves behind an incredible legacy as a priest and as a teacher, with his deep knowledge and love of theology and Sacred Music impacting countless souls for the better. His wisdom, passion, and love for Christendom and its students will never be forgotten and he will be sorely missed by the entire Christendom community.
May his soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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