There Is A Jesuit In My Dorm Building

There are plenty of things to get used to for a college freshman.

But at Xavier University, there’s one more: adjusting to the fact that one of your new “dormies” is a Jesuit priest.

Since the 1940s, a priest has resided in each of XU’s five student residences, including Xavier president, the Rev. Michael J. Graham, S.J., who lives in Commons Apartments. The practice, which often delights parents and surprises students, grew out of the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, a belief in caring for the whole person. For XU’s five resident priests, that can mean everything from providing Friday night pasta dinners to helping students develop a deeper prayer life.

It also means sharing early morning fire drills, movie nights and the stuff of their daily lives.“The students know they can turn to them for anything,” says Lisa Brown, associate director of residence life.

Priests live among students at 24 of the nation’s 28 Jesuit colleges and universities, according to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. At some, the practice has been in place for more than 100 years.

Link (here) to the full story.