Fr. Tony Gittins, C.S.S.p.

Tony, a member of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost (Spiritans), authored Living Mission Interculturally – Faith, Culture, and the Renewal of Praxis, published by Liturgical Press in  2015. Born in Manchester (England), Tony lived among the Mende people of Sierra Leone, West Africa (1972-1980) as a missionary pastor, linguist, and ethnographer. From 1980 to 1984 he was Formation Director in London and lectured at the Missionary Institute. Since then, he has done missionary anthropological work in several countries beyond Africa, including Pakistan, Kiribati, and the Trobriand Islands. During a visit home, he died surrounded by his siblings on May 15, 2023

Tony was the author of eighteen books on theological and anthropological topics, and on mission and spirituality.  They include Ministry At The Margins: Strategy and Spirituality for Mission (Orbis, 2002); Where There’s Hope, There’s Life.  Women’s Stories and Practical Theology (Liguori, 2006); Called to be Sent: Co-Missioned as Disciples Today (Liguori, 2008).  Living Mission Interculturally (Liturgical Press, 2015), The Way of Jesus: Women, Men, and Today’s Call to Mission (Liturgical Press, 2016); Courage and Conviction: Unpretentious Christianity (Liturgical Press, 2018).

He taught at Catholic Theological Union from 1984-2012 and held the Bishop Ford Chair of Mission Theology from 1999-2008. 

During "retirement," Tony offered retreats, parish missions, workshops, and short courses, keynotes and conferences, on a full-time basis, nationally or internationally. He is especially interested in working with groups of religious (both women and men), clergy (including bishops), and adult laity in parishes. His topics included “Discipleship,” “Mission and Culture,” “Living as a Eucharistic People,” “Mission Spirituality,” and “Intercultural Living.”