Sponga made headlines when he left the priesthood in July 1968 in order to marry Mary Ellen Barrett, a divorced mother of three.
For the next decade before becoming ordained in 1948, Sponga studied theology and philosophy at St. Isaac Jogues and Woodstock College in Maryland.
[4] Under Sponga's supervision, Woodstock College recruited a number of well known theologians, including Father John Courtney Murray, S.J.
First, he completed the move from the university's original campus on Wyoming Avenue to the former Scranton Family Estate in the lower Hill section.
[18][19][20] Under Sponga, Scranton Preparatory School moved to its new location on the 1000 block of Wyoming Avenue from its temporary home in Old Main, the former University building.
He created a task force, composed of faculty and student representatives, which explored solutions to the problems faced by the growing University.
[13][23] Finally, he revised some of the curriculum requirements, particularly in Theology and Philosophy, developed the Honors Program, and increased the academic and entrance standards of the university.
[24] In 1965, it was announced that Sponga would be leaving his post as president of the University of Scranton because he had been appointed the Provincial Superior of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus.
In 1968, Sponga resigned from his post as Provincial Superior when he abruptly left the Jesuits and the Roman Catholic priesthood.
[9] In July 1968, at the age of 50, Sponga surprised many within the Jesuits when he unexpectedly resigned his post as Provincial Superior and left the Society of Jesus, breaking his vow of celibacy in order to marry a 33-year-old divorced nurse named Mary Ellen Barrett.