Father Edward A. Reese, S.J., president of Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Ariz., will give the opening invocation at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., on September 3.  The family of Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, has a close association with Brophy College Prep. Two sons of John and Cindy McCain attended the Jesuit high school. Jack McCain graduated from Brophy in 2004 and is currently a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy. Jimmy McCain attended Brophy and recently served in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps. Mrs. McCain has served as a member of Brophy’s Board of Regents for the past six years.
“The McCains have been generous supporters of Brophy,” said Fr. Reese. “I am also pleased by his [Sen. McCain’s] support of vouchers for Catholic schools like Brophy.” Fr. Reese entered the Jesuits in 1961 as a member of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. He was ordained as a priest in 1973 and has served at Brophy since 1996. Asked if he was endorsing a particular candidate, Fr. Reese responded, “Catholic priests should pray for anyone and everyone, but I don't think we should endorse or campaign for political candidates.” Fr. Reese is the brother of Father Thomas J. Reese, S.J, a Jesuit priest who is a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University and the former editor of America magazine. Brophy College Preparatory was established in 1928. For more information about the school, visit http://www.brophyprep.org/
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