Jesuit Father Paul Schott, former Jesuit High president, 97

Jesuit Father Paul W. Schott, who served for five years as president of Jesuit High School and was a noted retreat director and pastor, died Nov. 26 in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. He was 97 years old and had served as a Jesuit for 70 years and as a priest for 60 years.

He was born in New Orleans on Nov. 1, 1923, to Bernard and Nina Oelkers Schott. He was preceded in death by his sister, Rosemary Stevens, and his brothers Arthur, Bernard, Stephen and Patrick Schott.

Father Schott graduated from Jesuit High School in 1940, and from Loyola University New Orleans in 1943 with an economics degree. He joined the Navy and served in the European and Pacific theaters during WWII and returned to New Orleans after the war to work with his family’s meat-packing business.

He entered the Society of Jesus at Grand Coteau in 1950 and pronounced first vows on Sept. 8, 1952. He was ordained a priest at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, on June 15, 1960. He earned his philosophy degree at Spring Hill College and a licentiate in sacred theology from St. Mary’s College in St. Marys, Kansas.

Father Schott taught at St. John’s High School in Shreveport and gave retreats at Montserrat Retreat House in Lake Dallas, Texas. In 1965, he was appointed rector and president of Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, which had recently moved to a new facility. His eight years as president were marked by innovative and successful fundraising.

After a year of retreat work at Grand Coteau, he was appointed in 1974 as president of Jesuit High School, where he served for five years until conducting retreats at Manresa from 1979-83.

After six years as socius and pastoral assistant for the Jesuits’ New Orleans Province, he served as pastor of St. Rita Parish in Dallas. He later served as an associate at Immaculate Conception Church and Holy Name of Jesus parishes in New Orleans, before returning as pastor in 2002 to St. Rita in Dallas.

From 2003 until his retirement in 2012, he served as an associate at Holy Name of Jesus Church in New Orleans.

Father Schott’s Funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 2 in the Domestic Chapel of St. Charles College in Grand Coteau. He was buried in St. Charles College cemetery. He is survived by his brother Matthew.