Precious Blood Father Robert Schreiter, 73, a member of the faculty of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago since 1974, died June 1 at his home in Chicago.

“The CTU community grieves profoundly the loss of our longtime colleague,” said Dominican Sister Barbara Reid, president of CTU. “His outstanding contributions are too numerous to list. His work on reconciliation, in particular, was unparalleled, both in his international accompaniment of church leaders in peace building and in teaching standing-room-only crowds of students every year.”

During his years at Catholic Theological Union, he spent nine years as vice president and academic dean (1977-1986) and was instrumental in founding its doctor of ministry program, Reid said. He was also the founding director of CTU’s Bernardin Center, which focuses on reconciliation and peacemaking, interreligious dialogue, leadership development for the Catholic Church, the consistent ethic of life and the search for common ground in the church and the world.

Born in Nebraska, he entered the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ in 1961. He earned his doctorate in theology from the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands  and was ordained a priest in 1975.

Immediately after his ordination, he joined the faculty at Catholic Theological Union. He remained on the faculty until May of this year, when he retired and was named professor emeritus.

Father Schreiter also was active in the leadership of his religious congregation, serving on its senate, as its vice provincial director and on the general council of the worldwide congregation. He also served as formation director, guiding candidates toward ordination as a priest or profession as a religious brother.

He is survived by two sisters, Mary Liesemeyer and Jean Taylor, and three brothers, Thomas, James and John Schreiter.