Cristo Rey New York High School mourns the passing of Fr. Joseph P. Parkes, S.J., founding president of our school and extraordinary leader in Jesuit education. Fr. Parkes passed away on June 19, 2026 at the age of 81, having dedicated himself to forming young people, building and strengthening educational institutions, and expanding opportunities for students. The funeral arrangements are as follows:

WAKE:

Thursday, June 25th; 4 – 8 p.m.

Chapel of Murray-Weigel Hall

Rose Hill Campus of Fordham University

Prayer Service at 7 p.m.

FUNERAL MASS:

Friday, June 26th; 11:30 a.m.

Fordham University Church

Click here for the church livestream.

Burial: Jesuit Cemetery, Auriesville, NY.

Notes of Condolence may be sent to Fr. Parkes’ local superior:

Fr. Michael Corcoran, S.J.

515 East Fordham Road

Bronx, NY 10458

We join his family, fellow Jesuits, alumni, students, faculty, staff, trustees, and friends in mourning his loss and giving thanks for a life devoted to providing a Jesuit education for students from all backgrounds. As we do so, we are comforted by the faith that his life has changed, not ended.

Born on November 19, 1944, Fr. Parkes was the son of Irish immigrants, Joseph Parkes Sr. and Mary MacAloon Parkes, and grew up with his older sister, Patricia, in Jersey City, NJ. His lifelong connection to Jesuit education began as a high school student at Saint Peter’s Preparatory School in Jersey City, NJ. After his graduation from Saint Peter’s Prep, he entered the Society of Jesus on July 30, 1962 at Saint Andrew on Hudson in Poughkeepsie, NY. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy at Fordham University, his master’s of divinity from Woodstock College, and a master’s degree in history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ordained to the priesthood in 1976, Fr. Parkes served God’s people in varied roles in the Society of Jesus, including at America Magazine, on the Province staff, and as Provincial. In a delightful coincidence, Fr. Parkes observed the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on June 12, the same date as Cristo Rey New York’s most recent graduation ceremony.

Fr. Parkes’ career in Jesuit education spanned more than six decades, beginning with his regency when he served at Ateneo de Manila High School in the Philippines in the late 1960s. He held several leadership positions in education during his career, including president at both Saint Peter’s Prep (1979-1986) and Fordham Prep (1996-2004), before serving as Cristo Rey New York High School’s founding president. Fr. Parkes served as a trustee for numerous institutions including Fordham University and Georgetown University.

Fr. Parkes served as President of Cristo Rey New York from 2004 to 2018. Working alongside trustees, faculty, staff, and supporters, they built the school from the ground up, creating opportunities for students who faced barriers to high-quality college prep education and real world workplace experience. His leadership extended beyond our school, to include service as chair of the Cristo Rey Network Board of Directors, where he helped guide and strengthen the mission of Cristo Rey schools across the country.

Even after concluding his service as president, Fr. Parkes remained actively involved in Cristo Rey New York. In September of 2022, the school’s Board of Trustees honored him as the first person to be named Trustee Emeritus. His influence remains woven throughout the institution, from the classrooms and offices to the community he helped establish. 

To hundreds of Cristo Rey New York students, Fr. Parkes was more than a school leader. He was a mentor, advocate, and trusted guide. Alumni frequently recall that he saw possibilities in them before they saw those possibilities in themselves. His response to a student’s dream, idea, or ambition was often simply, “Go for it.” Bill Ford, Cristo Rey New York’s founding principal, once said: “Fr. Parkes has an unshakeable faith in the strength, goodness, and excellence of our students, believing just as deeply the true mark of a Jesuit education is the creativity and generosity of heart with which they invest that education in the service of others.”

Those words capture the spirit with which Fr. Parkes led and served Cristo Rey New York. Among Fr. Parkes’ gifts were his steadfastness in faith and old fashioned loyalty. He was a man of The Word, which he served most faithfully, and a man of his word. His legacy will endure through the community he helped build and the lives he helped shape.

The Cristo Rey New York community treasures Fr. Parkes’ life and legacy and recalls his trademark expression of support: “Courage!”