EVOLVING PRIEST ROLES RESULT IN GROSS EFFECT
by: Father William Joensen, Dean of Campus Spiritual Life Throughout its storied existence, scores of priests of the Archdiocese of Dubuque have served Loras College in a variety of roles ranging from president to dean of men, director of the Loras Players, resident poet, counselor, campus minister, and even intramural coach! The main legacy consists of priest professors in practically every discipline imaginable, with names such as Gannon, Schroeder, Downing, Donohue, Schulte, Nye, Creighton, Ferring, Friedell, Lang, Roseleip, Friedl, Wilkie, Vogl, Hayek, Kutsch, Beck and Barta— among others— composing a living tradition of scholarship and service. Regardless of particular post, their contributions have always been refracted through the lens of their identity as spiritual fathers, extending the mission of Jesus to teach and preach, to dispel ignorance, to unbind and build up students and faculty and staff peers alike in the joy of the Gospel and the grace of Jesus Christ. Priestly presence at Loras is a dynamic proposition that continues to evolve depending on individual needs and charisms. Presently, three Dubuque priests are assigned to Loras. Fr. Douglas Wathier, STD (’78), professor of religious studies and theology, recently concluded his eight–year tenure as Endowed Chair of the Breitbach Catholic Thinkers and Leaders program which he spearheaded, and is taking a well–deserved sabbatical that will not only expand his linguistic and scholarly breadth, but should foster new relationships between Loras and Bolivian students and institutions. Fr. Wathier has fulfilled a number of roles in his 23 years at the College, including a three–year stint in the 1990s where he served as Director of Campus Ministry and chaplain. He’s also served as department chair, division chair, and director of the Archbishop Kucera Center for Catholic Studies. In addition, he’s served as the chaplain at Mt. Loretto, the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Presentation, for the past twenty years. Fr. G. Robert Gross, M.A., M.Div. (’02), who has been at his alma mater for the last two years after being ordained in 2007, has assumed the full–time role of chaplain of the College, serving as the effective pastor to students. He succeeds Fr. William Joensen, Ph.D., who remains dean of Campus Spiritual Life and member of the philosophy program faculty. This heightened distinction of the chaplain’s and dean’s positions should foster the delivery of priestly ministry and mission–consonant activities, Pro Deo et Patria, and merits a few words describing their respective roles. As chaplain, Fr. Gross responds to the sacramental needs of and offers pastoral leadership for Loras students. Fr. Gross is a charismatic preacher
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of the word of God who can connect the message of the Scriptures with students’ lives, including all their joys and sorrows, successes and setbacks. Along with the other six members of the Campus Ministry staff, he helps foster the spiritual formation of students outside the classroom but ultimately points them back to the classroom. He is available to students for spiritual direction and discernment, present and engaging with Duhawks on retreats and in campus organizations such as the Knights of Columbus and Duhawks for Life, and guides the four Loras Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) missionaries—particularly in their outreach of Bible studies, discipleship, and Spirit–led evangelization of athletes and other students. He has a pivotal role in planning liturgies and leading public prayer throughout the academic year extending from the Launch into Loras Mass to the concluding Baccalaureate Mass. Fr. Gross embraces a pastoral vision that will help students realize their spiritual potential and respond to the universal call to holiness articulated by the Second Vatican Council and by recent popes, notably Pope Francis. Chaplain Gross is well–positioned to draw from his studies in Christian Spirituality and Spiritual Direction at Creighton University. As dean and now coordinator for Catholic Identity initiatives, I focus upon staff and faculty professional development and other endeavors. Now in my fourteenth year at Loras, I help develop and oversee mission–discernment and decision–making processes at various administrative levels, including hiring and budget processes. I collaborate closely with David Cochran, Ph.D. (politics), director of the Archbishop Kucera Center for Catholic Studies, in crafting programming connected with Catholic identity, and with Mary Ellen Carroll, Ph.D., associate vice president for academic affairs, in implementing the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) grant. NetVUE seeks to foster a Loras culture of “vocation,” understood as life calling that spans academic advising, professional roles and service, and personal faith and spirituality. In concert with the Faith and Values Education Committee, I promote Catholicism in the curriculum and development opportunities for faculty connected with the Catholic intellectual tradition. Further, I serve as liaison to the Loras Board of Regents’ Catholic Identity Task Force, facilitating communication, education, and resource development. Frs. Wathier, Gross, and I acknowledge and aspire to deepen the relationship between the Archdiocese of Dubuque and Loras College. We continue to pray fervently that the legacy of priestly presence and ministry initiated by Bishop Loras remains alive and well for coming generations!