In one of his many essays for Notre Dame Magazine, the renowned and prolific theologian Larry Cunningham wrote in his often self-deprecating way about his dependence on students to solve his technological trials.

“To my students,” he wrote in 2008 at age 72, “I fear I appear to be a slightly bumbling grandfather type. … I would not know how to send a text message if my life depended on it. Only last year did I realize that the same phone not only took pictures but could transmit them. When I ask students to help me with computer problems, they give me pitying glances as they punch a key or two to get me out of my computer conundrum. They all walk around with buds in their ears attached to wires … whereas the only bud that will go into my ear will most likely be attached to hearing aid.”

He then went on to describe his deep passion for his vocation. “I am a much better teacher today than I was decades ago because I have never lost my passion for learning. … Nor have I lost my passion for teaching and learning (two sides of the same coin) nor my desire to touch that place in (students’) minds and hearts for that love of learning which, even though they may not know it explicitly, is the desire for God. …

“I have never doubted for a moment that being a teacher was a rare gift given to me. To be paid to do what I do, which is to follow my passion in the company of the young, makes me feel to be among the elect who have found themselves in a place where they were meant to be. The only word that covers it is gratitude.”

Cunningham, the John A. O’Brien Professor of Theology Emeritus, died Feb. 20 in South Bend. He was 89.

“Larry graced our campus for more than 35 years and was a dedicated administrator, a beloved teacher, a cherished colleague, and a most generous citizen of the University. We will always be grateful for his service, which helped shape what Notre Dame is today,” Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president emeritus, said. “Our prayers are with his wife, Cecilia, their family and his many, many friends. May God grant him eternal rest.”

Raised in Florida, Cunningham explored entering the priesthood while earning a bachelor’s degree at Saint Bernard’s Seminary in New York. He then attended the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he earned a licentiate in sacred theology, followed by his studies at Florida State, acquiring a master’s degree in literature and a doctorate in humanities. Along the way he decided he “would make a better academic than a priest.”

With that, he began his more than 55-year career in academe. The first 21 years were at Florida State; in 1987, he moved to Notre Dame, where he was the John A. O’Brien Professor of Theology (emeritus since 2012). He was a scholar of systematic theology and culture, Christian spirituality and the history of Christian spirituality. He was adept at explaining the complex details of Catholic Church history, liturgy, teaching, governance and spiritual life and was frequently quoted on such subjects by journalists in leading media outlets.

Chair of Notre Dame’s Department of Theology from 1992 to 1997, Cunningham was an award-winning teacher and the recipient of numerous honors for his writing from the Catholic Press Association. He received honorary degrees from Bellarmine University, Neumann College and Saint Anselm College, and the University of Portland bestowed upon him its highest honor, the Christus Magister (Christ the Teacher) Medal.

“Larry will be remembered as a beloved departmental colleague and university citizen,” said John Cavadini, professor of theology and McGrath-Cavadini Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. “As chair of the theology department, he laid the foundation for the flourishing undergraduate program in theology we enjoy today. As a theologian and scholar he will be remembered for his contributions, especially, to the history of spirituality and mystical theology. He was an authority on all things Catholic, universally consulted, known at once for his devotion to the Church and for his cosmopolitan spirit, for his presence in scholarly and popular theological venues, for his vocational counseling of so many ministry and doctoral students, and for his kindly soul. May he rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing to us.”

Cunningham wrote or edited more than 25 books, his first titled “Brother Francis: Writings by and About Saint Francis of Assisi,” published in 1972. Among his many other books are “Mother of God,” “Catholic Prayer,” “Thomas Merton: Spiritual Master,” “John Henry Newman: Heart Speaks to Heart” and “Things Seen and Unseen.”

Millions of lay readers benefited from the perspectives and insights Cunningham shared in dictionaries and encyclopedias of religion and in more than 400 articles in periodicals worldwide, including The Tablet, America, The Christian Century, U.S. Catholic, Church, Spirituality (Ireland), The Bridge (Asia), The Merton Seasonal and Commonweal, for which he was the literary columnist for many years.

The citation accompanying the Christus Magister Medal read in part: “If the primary task of a committed Catholic life is to share the genius of the Word, so that many more hearts might be opened and souls saved, then Lawrence Cunningham has served well and faithfully.”

Indeed, he did.

Cunningham is survived by his wife, Cecilia, of South Bend, Indiana; daughters Sarah Mary Cunningham of New York City, and Julia Clare Cunningham (Steve Uknuis) of Los Angeles; and granddaughter Mazzy Uknuis of Los Angeles.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday (Feb. 25) in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame’s campus.