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Jesuit Father Clem Metzger
Director
440.888.8706
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Jesuit Father Clem Metzger is the 11th director of the Jesuit Retreat House in Parma. Fr. Metzger assumed the post in July of 2000.
Fr. Clem was born in Bethlehem, Ohio and graduated from Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.
In 1952 he entered the Society of Jesus at the Milford, Ohio Novitiate. Fr. Metzger taught at Cleveland’s St. Ignatius High School in the early 60’s and was ordained in 1965 at Colombiere Center, Michigan.
His first assignment after ordination was at Cuyahoga Falls’ Walsh Jesuit High School, where he spent twelve years. He then moved on to the chaplain’s post at two maximum security prisons at Lucasville, in southern Ohio, and the Marquette Branch Prison, in Michigan’s upper peninsula.
From there it was on to Gesu parish in Toledo, Ohio where he served as pastor for ten years. Fr. Metzger began his retreat work at the Jesuit Retreat House in August of 1999.
Since Father Clem arrived at JRH, there has been a “greening” of the retreat house public rooms. New plants and ferns abound in the library, lounge and entranceways. Fr. Clem’s green thumb was acquired while being raised on the family farm in Bethlehem Ohio.
Also, as a result of his “eye for a bargain” and a being a sagacious negotiator, the house now has new statues of Mary, in the chapel and Joseph in the library. Fr. Clem is also working with the board of trustees on planning the upgrading of JRH facilities. We all are excited about these plans which will fulfill the retreat house requirements of the new century as well as provide for the spiritual and physical needs of our retreatants in the years to come.