Eugene Merz, S.J.

Fr. Eugene F. Merz, S.J., (1931-2019) served as a spiritual director and retreat and workshop leader. He was a member of the Society of Jesus for seventy years and a Jesuit priest for fifty-seven years. His years of ministry in the Diocese of Des Moines and at the Center for Ignatian Spirituality focused on the spiritual renewal of priests, religious, and laity. Merz also served in prison ministry, Jesuit formation, diocesan renewal, higher education, and ministry to Indigenous people. He earned master's degrees in education, psychology, and spiritual theology from St. Louis University.