Peter A. Redpath (August 16, 1945—April 13, 2025) was a distinguished philosopher specializing in Thomistic philosophy, leadership, and organizational studies, with a prolific publication record and a significant influence in both academic and applied philosophical circles.I find it hard to believe that Peter Redpath is not physically among us. For a quarter of a century we met either in the States or in Poland. These meetings were pleasant, but also very useful. For we gathered a group of people who had similar views on philosophy and culture, education and pedagogy, East and West. These meetings resulted in organizing congresses, contributing to the print, radio and TV media, publishing journals, and endless discussions. They were real feasts, whether in the car, on the train or in a restaurant. Behind each of us was a story of experiences, thoughts, projects.

And it’s not easy today to meet philosophers with a real life, meaning well educated and with a realist orientation. Peter was one of the few, one of the real leaders, and he was followed by previously known professors, or young PhDs, whose ambition was to be like Peter: open to the world, to people, to new ideas, and very upright and honest in moral conduct and sincerely religious, or more precisely, to be a righteous Catholic.

For Peter and his friends such as Curtis Hancock, Tom Michaud, John Deely, coming to Poland was of great importance, because despite the many devastations caused by war and communism, one could feel a culture of more than a thousand years, in a country where churches are open all day and Mass is celebrated in every church on Sunday. This is the country of Pope St. John Paul II, a saint but also a profound philosopher.

We came to the conclusion early on that the base for our meetings could be not only the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), where I am a professor, but also the Redemptorist-owned Higher School of Social and Media Culture (renamed the Academy of Social and Media Culture), headed by Father Director Tadeusz Rydzyk. Annual congresses or conferences were held. Peter Redpath was able to invent interesting speakers and conversational companions, thanks to which the meetings were very fruitful, as over time they filled the content of periodicals such as Man in Culture, or Studia Gilsoniana, the last was created precisely because of Peter’s inspiration.

For him, doing philosophy was as social and even friendly as possible; he was a true disciple of Socrates, Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas. At various meetings, he would look around to see if there was anyone interesting who could be encouraged to do some kind of collaboration. In this way, the circle of philosopher-realists grew, and philosophy could continue and develop despite the crisis. It could and can, because of the ideas that Peter planted, true humanism and healthy view of the world are still alive, still attracting new lovers of true wisdom.

How did I get to know Peter? Fr Mieczyslaw Krąpiec, an excellent Thomist, rector of KUL (1970-1983) had a student Fr Andrew Woznicki, who went to the States to be at the University of California. His student was Hugh McDonald, who was a sailor, originally from Niagara. Fr Woznicki, seeing his intellectual philosophical abilities, advised him to do his master’s degree at the Catholic University of Lublin. And he did. He stayed with us for three years, and I was already working there as an assistant. Hugh wrote his master’s degree in Latin. That’s when the idea of translating the works of the Polish community known as the Lublin School of Philosophy (Fr Krąpiec as a leader) into English came up. Hugh mastered Polish so well that he became a translator for many years.

Once, when I was in Chicago (2000), I thought of participating in an American congress near by. Hugh hinted to me that Prof. Redpath would be a good contact, because there would be a congress at the University of Notre Dame. I called, and Peter started talking to me as if we had known each other for many years and cheerfully confirmed the invitation. Come, he encouraged me, and some room will be found. Well, and there were, and I was moved by such an interesting university and the opportunity to meet so many wonderful professors, who were eager to talk. Peter and I decided to organize a congress in Poland at the Catholic University of Lublin in cooperation with Radio Maryja. As a result, our deliberations had a nationwide extension. And so it goes every year, despite the various difficulties, which, however, can be overcome with technology. This project functions thanks to the commitment of Prof. Imelda Chlodna-Błach, Rev. Dr. Pawel Tarasiewicz, Dr. Joanna Kieres and many others.

I was happy, and we were quite proud in Poland, that we could offer something to our colleagues and friends from the States, and they were able to sincerely appreciate it.

Now that Peter is no longer among us, we will make a resolution to organize lectures in the name of Professor Peter Redpath, philosopher and friend. May we and future generations be reminded of the treasures of wisdom that await sincere philosophers, treasures so necessary today and ever available to people like Peter was.

Piotr Jaroszynski
Chair of the Philosophy of Culture and Rhetoric
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
Academy of Social and Media Culture
Toruń, Poland

In Memoriam: Peter Anthony Redpath