Fr. Ken Hannon, O.M.I. May 4, 1946 – March 29, 2026

Fr. Ken (Laurence Kenneth) Hannon, O.M.I., died suddenly from a heart attack on March 29, 2026. He was well known and cherished as a professor of sacramental and liturgical theology to generations of students at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio and to the wider community through his sermons, lectures, workshops, and consultations on liturgical matters throughout the region.

Fr. Ken was born on May 4, 1946, in San Antonio, the first of seven children of Larry and Judy (Laurence and Juliette) Hannon. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Jeff (Louise) and Michael (Cynthia), and sisters Frances (Greg) Downs and Judy (Sanford) Backus. He is survived by his sisters, Chris Ann Hannon and Janine (John, deceased) Stephens. They and his nieces and nephews and grandnieces and nephews will sorely miss him, as he was very devoted to them and like a father to several.

His sharp wit and theological expertise made him stand out among all who knew him. He enjoyed urban life and the fine arts; nevertheless, hot weather saw him take refuge in Alaska during many summers, assisting with parish ministry there. He was an enthusiastic fan of the sports teams of his alma maters, the University of Texas and the University of Notre Dame, complicating his life when the two took the field against each other.

As a child, Fr. Ken attended St. Peter Prince of the Apostles grade school in San Antonio before going overseas with his military parents, where he graduated from Mannheim American High School in Mannheim, Germany, in 1964. After a year at the University of Texas, he decided to pursue a religious vocation with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Entering the novitiate in June 1966, he made his first vows in 1967 at St. Peter’s Novitiate in Sarita, Texas. Sent to Rome for further studies, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Gregorian University in 1969. Returning to San Antonio, he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Oblate College of the Southwest in 1972.

Ordained to the presbyterate in December 1972 in the Immaculate Conception Chapel of the Missionary Oblates, he served briefly at parishes in Dallas and Aurora, Colorado, before being assigned to Oblate College in 1974 to teach in systematic and sacramental theology. In 1975, he began studies in that area at the University of Notre Dame, returning to teach at Oblate College in 1977 while eventually obtaining a Master of Arts (Theology) in 1979 and a doctorate from Notre Dame in 1985.

Fr. Ken quickly became a sought-after consultant in sacramental and liturgical matters. In 1978, he began a long tenure as the chairperson of the San Antonio Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission. He was a member of the Executive Board of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions and served as a president of the Southwest Liturgical Conference. He also served as a visiting professor at St. Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara, South Africa, and Good Shepherd Theological College in Auckland, New Zealand. He was the first holder of the Louis G. Vance Chair in Systematic Theology at Oblate School of Theology and, in recent years, was named Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology. His absence will be deeply felt by his Missionary Oblate community, by his loving relatives, by his colleagues and students at Oblate School of Theology, and by many others whose lives he touched.

A Vigil Service will be held at the Immaculate Conception Chapel at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio on Thursday, April 9, at 7 pm. The Mass of the Resurrection will be at 10 am Friday, April 10, in the same chapel, with burial following at the Oblate Cemetery on the same property. Memorial donations may be made to the Oblate School of Theology Seminarian Fund.

Obituary written by Fr. Bob Wright, O.M.I.