A Mass of Christian burial for Father James H. Baker, SJ, was celebrated in the chapel of St. Ignatius Hall in Florissant on July 5. Father Baker died June 25 in Florissant. A longtime educator and pastoral minister, he was 87 years old, a Jesuit for 68 years and a priest for 56 years.
James Baker was born on Jan. 8, 1938, in Quincy, Illinois, to Walter W. and Esther J. Schoenekase Baker. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother William and his sister Marcia. He is survived by his brothers John and Robert Baker.
He entered the St. Stanislaus Seminary of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in Florissant on Aug. 17, 1956. He pronounced first vows on Aug. 22, 1958, and was ordained a priest on June 4, 1969, at the St. Louis Cathedral. He professed final vows on Dec. 8, 1975, at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church.
He began his educational ministry at St. Louis University High School in 1964 and remained for two years. He later returned to SLUH in 1985 and served as president for five years.
Father Baker devoted two decades of his life to leadership of Jesuit secondary schools. He served as principal at Regis Jesuit High School in Denver from 1970-73 and 1976-79. From 1979 to 1985, he was assigned to the Jesuit Secondary Education Association, a precursor to today’s Jesuit Schools Network, where he facilitated colloquia on the ministry of teaching (1979-80) and then served on the Commission on Research and Development (1980-85).
Following a one-year sabbatical, Father Baker found new energy and grace in pastoral ministry. He became a campus minister and taught ethics at Parks College of Saint Louis University in Cahokia, Illinois (1991-98), after which he moved to Saint Louis University’s School of Medicine for a lengthy tenure as campus minister (1998-2014). By this time, he was beginning to slow down, and he provided different kinds of pastoral ministry at Jesuit Hall (2014-22) and then at St. Ignatius Hall (2023-25).
Father Baker’s years as a beloved chaplain at Parks College and the School of Medicine were followed by many generous hours in St. Francis Xavier (College) Church at Saint Louis University as a compassionate confessor and a wise mentor for couples preparing for marriage. He simply loved connecting with people, and he never let physical diminishment prevent him from cultivating pastoral relationships and friendships. As he wrote in all humility to the provincial on Jan. 4, 1983, “The one thing I feel I do well is to deal with people directly.”
Father Baker earned a bachelor’s degree in physics at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, a master’s in educational administration from Saint Louis University and a Ph.D. in education at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. He did his theology studies at St. Mary’s College in St. Marys, Kansas.
Burial was in Calvary Cemetery.
