Please join with the Schubert family, the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales, the DeSales University community, and with lovers of beauty everywhere in mourning the passing of Rev. Gerard J. Schubert, OSFS from this earthly life.
May he now rejoice in the presence of God and enjoy the full blessings of Beauty Itself.
Rev. Gerard J. Schubert, a professed member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales for 65 years, was the son of the late Frederick and Mary Schubert, was born in Philadelphia in 1929. He attended St. Henry Parochial School and Northeast Catholic High School.
He received a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins University to study civil engineering, but after one year heard the call to priesthood and applied to the Oblates in June 1949. He entered the seminary and made his first profession of vows on September 12, 1950. Father Schubert was ordained to the priesthood in 1959 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Wilmington, Del.
Father Schubert earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from The Catholic University of America in 1955, his master of arts in theological studies and a master of fine arts in speech and drama from The Catholic University of America in 1960 and 1964 respectively. He earned a Ph.D. in theatre from the University of Denver in 1970.
From 1960 to 1965, Father Schubert was chairman of the English department and head of the drama program at Salesian High School in Detroit Michigan. At the University of Denver, Father Schubert served as the production manager for the theatre program as part of his graduate fellowship.
In the fall of 1967, Father Schubert participated as an actor and company manager for the United Service Organization (USO) during a 10-week European tour of the production of Brigadoon. In the summer of 1971, he was appointed a special observer of directorial techniques and company management of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-on-Avon, England.
In 1969, Father Schubert began his career at DeSales University as chair of the performing and fine arts department, a position he served until his retirement in 1998. In that time he produced more than 200 theatre productions and 32 dance concerts. He directed more than 40 productions and acted in several, including his three-time portrayal of Sir Thomas More in the Robert Bolt play A Man for All Seasons.
In 1992, Father Schubert founded the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University. Before retiring in 2001, Father directed Shakespeare productions including Macbeth, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar. The Festival has been recognized as the Official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and has grown to entertain more than 34,000 patrons each summer.