With great sadness Jesuit Refugee Service/USA mourns the loss of Fr. Rick Ryscavage, SJ, former JRS/USA Executive Director, who recently passed away. We mourn his passing, but celebrate his legacy.  JRS/USA is forever grateful to Fr. Rick Ryscavage for his dedication to JRS, the mission to help refugees heal, learn, and determine their own future, and his expertise on migration and refugee issues that helped expand the organizations reach to those in need.

In addition to his invaluable work with JRS, he taught several university courses, including a recent one on Global Child Migration at Georgetown University. Prior to Georgetown University, he directed the Migration and Refugee Services for the Catholic Bishops Conference, where he ran one of the world’s largest refugee resettlement agencies. Fr. Ryscavage was also the Co-Founder of the Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Committee and Founder of Fairfield University’s Center for Faith and Public that advanced both pedagogy and research on refugees. He studied at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, as well as at the School for International Training in Vermont. Fr. Ryscavage held degrees in political philosophy from Boston College and Master of Divinity from Weston School of Theology in Cambridge Mass.

“JRS/USA is deeply saddened by the loss of Fr. Rick Ryscavage, SJ. He was a well-respected friend, colleague, and leader for the impactful work he did with refugees and displaced individuals. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, and we will continue his incredible legacy as we accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees in the U.S. and around the world,” said Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Director, JRS/USA.